GHEE is made from home made butter. It is’clarified butter. Both the French and East Indians use Ghee in cooking some foods.
I remember making this butter with my Grandmother. We took the cream off the top of pasturized whole milk and put it in a wooden churn. It took quite a while to make it, (I was quite young at the time and I’m not sure of the time), and we took turn turning the handle. In the end we had a wonderful unsalted sweet butter.
I love East Indian food and when I lived in Edmonton I bought ready made Ghee at an East Indian Store.
With so many people from India and Pakistan living in Victoria you would think that I could find a Store that sells Ghee. I haven’t found one yet. My East Indian Friends make their own and I have permission to give you the recipe.
~O INGREDIENTS O~
1 pound of lightly salted butter to make ½ pound pure ghee.
~O WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GHEE O~
1 1 quart sauce pan that has a heavy bottom.
1 metal cooking spoon.
2 clean glass containers. One is to keep the Ghee after you make it and the other is to keep the residue that you will have to skim off, (throw this away after you have finished).
1 fine meshed strainer, (I use one that I use to strain tea leaves).
~O METHOD O~
This takes about 15 minutes.
1) Melt the butter in the pan directly over medium heat. Stir it so it will not burn.
2) When it reaches a rolling boil the foam the milk solids will be on top and you will have to skim them off.
3) You must remove the pan from the stove to skim off the foam.(You put this in the other glass jar).
4) Repeat this process a few times and try to remove as much of the foam as possible.
5) When you have removed as much foam as you can put the pot onto the stove and let it come to a boil again.
6) Once again you will see more foam so you repeat the process to remove it. This should be the last time you see any residue.
7) Put the pot back on the stove and turn off the heat. Let it rest for about 2 minute. You will see a thin skin-like film form. Remove it slowly and try to take it off at one time,
Now you have finished making your Ghee.
8) Let it cool down until it gets cold and then put the strainer over the glass contained and put the Ghee through it.
9) Stop pouring when the heavier solids move to the strainer. Then cover the jar and put it in your Refrigerator.’
~O THE FRENCH RECIPE O~
The French call Ghee’Foon-GHEE-It’. If you don’t want to use Ghee use unsalted butter or margarine. Coconut Cake
1-2-3-4 CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Grease 3 layered cake pans and then lightly flour them.
Ingredients:
1 cup of Ghee
1 cup of Milk
2 cup of sugar
3 cup of all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
4 eggs, (separated)
2 tsp. vanilla
Method:
1)Cream the Ghee in a mixing bowl.
2) Gradually add sugar.
3) Add egg yolks, one at time.
4) Add 1 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt.
5) Blend in 1/3 c. milk.
6) Alternate remaining flour and milk.
7) Add the vanilla.
8) Beat the egg whites until they are stiff.
9) Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.
10) Pour the mixture as evenly as you can into the 3 cake pans.
11) Bake for 35 minutes.
12) Remove from the oven and let the pans cool on top of a wired rack.
- You can decorate them any way you like. I often use a Coconut Icing and other times I use a White Icing.
~O SOME THOUGHTS O~
If you can’t buy Ghee now you know how to make it!
I enjoy the way that Ghee tastes in food. I know that eating too much Ghee or Butter is not healthy so I only make this Cake Recipe when I am having company.
I have seen recipes with Ghee made for vegetarian there is a way to make Ghee but I don’t know how to make it.
©LL2002