Exploring the Time-Honored Tradition of Ghee Making

Ghee, often hailed as the “Super Fat” , transcends generations in Indian households, embodying wisdom passed down through time. It’s a pivotal ingredient in the revered Panchamrit, a sweet elixir used in Hindu rituals, symbolizing life’s five nectars.

This ancient recipe, deeply rooted in tradition, employs the Bilona method to produce A2 ghee, renowned for its superior nutritional profile. Despite being labor-intensive, this approach preserves authenticity and quality, reflecting the essence of Indian culture.

Ghee’s history spans millennia, with references found in ancient scriptures like the Rig Veda. Legend has it that Prajapati, lord of creatures, created the first ghee to nourish his children. This rich heritage is woven into Indian culture, where ghee plays a pivotal role in rituals and is revered in Ayurveda for its healing properties.

Panchamrit is a sweet concoction used in Hindu worship and in the prayer rituals known as pujas. The name comes from the Sanskrit, pancha, meaning “five” and amrit, meaning “immortal” or “nectar of the gods.” Each component of Panchamrit holds symbolic significance—milk signifies purity, curd prosperity, honey unity, sugar bliss, and ghee victory and knowledge. Beyond its symbolic value, Panchamrit is believed to offer health benefits, including improved brain function and nourishment for the skin and during pregnancy.

Step-by-step process of making Ghee:

Ingredients:

• Milk cream (The top layer of milk) – 500g
• Chilled water – 1 liter
• Thick curd (starter culture) – 3 tbsp

Kitchen Tools:

• Wooden churner / Mixer grinder / Hand blender
• Saucepan
• Iron kadai / Brass kadai
• Steel spatula

Method-1: Preparing for Setting into Cultured cream

1. Choose the right kind of milk, like A2 milk, and boil it on a low flame for as long as possible.
2. Once boiling is completed, let the milk cool and allow the cream (fat layer) to settle on top of the milk.
3. Now, simply separate the cream layer from the milk and store it in a glass or steel container, then put it in the freezer. Repeat this process until the container is full.
4. Once the container is filled completely, take it out of the freezer and let it come down to normal temperature.
5. Now, you will see that the cream has melted, resembling creamy milk. Take it in a pan and warm it on a low flame.
6. Once warmed, turn off the flame and let it cool down.
7. Now, check if the milk is just lukewarm, then add 3 tablespoons of curd ( starter culture )and mix it well with the milk. Let it rest overnight or for 6 to 8 hours, depending on the weather. Cooler weather takes more time to set the curd, whereas hot weather takes less time.
8. Curd is ready to be churned.

Method-2: Process of Making cultured Butter from cultured cream

1. Churning curd is an organic process that takes 20 to 30 minutes, so be very patient with it as there is no shortcut to make it quick. But if you think about it logically, it will make sense to you. While churning, gradually add cold water to the curd and continue churning until the fat separates.
2. I know it can be a bit painful to stay patient as your hands may become tired. But don’t worry, I have a wonderful solution for this. When you get tired, put the vessel in the freezer. Once you are ready for the next churning session, take it out and churn again, adding a little more chilled water.
3. After 10 minutes, you will see the magic happen as the fat granules separate from the liquid or buttermilk. Now, use your hands to gather all the fat granules and make a ball out of it. This is the cultured white butter. Keep it in chilled water in a separate bowl.
4. Also, keep the nutritious buttermilk for a nice recipe. Please don’t throw it away; just pour it into a glass jar and keep it in the freezer.

Method-3: Final Process – Journey from Butter to Ghee

1. Take the white butter into an iron kadai / brass kadai. You must put a steel spatula into the kadai to prevent splattering.
2. Keep it on low flame. After some time, you will see the milk solids are getting separated from the oil.
3. The oil starts bubbling and the milk solids are burnt. Now, turn off the flame and let it cool down.
4. Once it has cooled down to normal temperature, strain the milk solids from the oil.
5. Now, the pale yellow-colored oil / ghee is ready. You can store it in a glass container.