Ghee Overview
Ghee is part of our daily life. It is used in almost every house, restaurant, and other places.
Ghee is basically a clarified form of butter. That was originated a long time back in Asia that is commonly used in multiple cultural cuisine foods in the subcontinent in order to add more taste in meals.
Ghee was produced mainly in Asia using multiple indigenous methods, But these days, Ghee is also produced in the Middle East region as well. There are some differences in the definition of Ghee due to some of the cultural differences, but the whole process of making is almost the same.
The flavor of Ghee is the same across the globe because it is particularly influenced by the heating process and the fermentation of cream and butter as well. The major compounds which are used to flavor Ghee are free fatty acids and lactones.
Excessive use of Ghee might not be good for health because it also contains some cops compound, which can cause adverse health effects.
Desi Ghee is commonly used for adding more flavors to the regional dishes in the subcontinent regions.
How to make Ghee from Butter
- First, one should take almost one pound of unsalted butter then slice the piece of butter into smaller chunks, which will increase the surface area of the butter inside the pan.
- Now place the pan on medium heat and try to stir frequently.
- When the butter starts smelting, then try to reduce the heat as low as possible, Stir and scrap almost every 15 minutes.
- After almost half an hour, add the cloves according to the desire, if using.
- Within 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, your Ghee could be ready, depending upon your heat setting. The whole trick is all about knowing when your Ghee is ready.
- Once the milk solids, try to take the pan off as soon as possible from the heat and take a Stainer covered with thin cotton and try to strain the Ghee into the jar very carefully.
This is how you make Ghee from butter.
Is Ghee Healthy?
Ghee has been very much in use not only for making a number of bakery products but also is very common in household use as well. So, it is very important to understand whether Ghee is healthy or not.
Here is a comparison between Ghee and Butter
- Ghee Has almost 45 calories in one teaspoon, along with that it also has 5 grams of fat and three grams of saturated fat as well, in addition to this, it contains almost 4% of vitamin A, which is recommended daily.
- However, on the other side, Butter contains 34 calories in one teaspoon, 4 grams of fat, and two grams of saturated fat as well, and in addition to this, it contains 2% of Vitamin A, which is recommended daily.
So clearly, Ghee has a higher concentration of nutrients because of its fat, which is also available in higher concentrations.
Heart Health using Ghee
- There is a very long debate about the effects of using Ghee on heart health; some say that it is very good for heart health because it contains fatty acids that might prove fruitful for developing cell membranes.
- However, the American Heart Health Association is completely against this fact and blames Ghee for heart diseases, according to them, Ghee Contains fat which is responsible for clogging in arteries.
But one thing is for sure; one should not use Ghee More than 10% of your total calories.
Is Ghee Dairy Free
- This question is very common among those people who use Ghee very often, So the answer to this is that Ghee is purely a dairy product which is derived from butter but can cause some allergies as well, especially to those who are allergic to dairy.
- If someone has lactose intolerance, then they should not use Ghee, because it contains a minimal amount of lactose.
Some Culinary uses of Ghee
- Ghee Is commonly rich in saturated fatty acids that have the capability to handle high temperatures without even being damaged, and if you heat Ghee, then it appears to have fewer toxic compounds.
- Also, Ghee contains a relatively high point of smoke, which is considered as the temperature at which first becomes very much volatile.
So, the suitability of Ghee at high temperatures makes it one of the better choices for cooking and baking with less risk of damaging health.
Conclusion
As for the conclusion, Ghee Is basically a natural food having a long history of both medical and culinary uses.
Ghee has several advantages, but at the same time, it has disadvantages as well, especially for those who have dairy allergies and not effective for people who have heart problems.
However, still, it is a healthy option for flavoring foods, and there are several companies out there in Pakistan and across the globe as well, which features natural Desi Ghee.