Posted by on December 04, 2017
Ghee Butter
Ghee, the Hindi word for “fat,” has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic practice for lubricating the intestinal tracts and bodily tissues. Simply put, ghee is a type of clarified butter, that is good for cleansing the body of toxins, boosting energy, reducing inflammation and promoting heart health.
How to make ghee
Made by boiling milk solids from unsalted butter, ghee is golden oil and naturally dairy-free. Check out this as one of our favorite recipes on how to make ghee online.
Is fat a bad thing?
We’re often told that fat is a bad thing, however, the high percentage of monounsaturated fat (the good stuff) in ghee is great for flushing out old bile from the body, stimulating the liver, supporting immunity of the cells in the gut, stabilizing mood and preventing overgrowth of bad bacteria in your system.
So Is Ghee Healthy?
Like carbs, ghee is rich and packed full of medium-chain fatty acids, which are absorbed through the liver and burned as energy. You will also find that ghee contains many healthy vitamins like A, D & E which help promote brain health and bone growth and also for fighting off infections.
Ghee can also contribute to a healthy digestive tract as it is rich in butyric acid. Ghee can also contribute to maintaining a healthy digestive system and decrease inflammation.
You may or may not heard of CLA [conjusgated linolenic acid] which can actually assist in weight loss. Clarified butter, aka, ghee, contains fatty acid and CLA which can aid weight loss! Of course like with anything, consume in moderation and although ghee often proves as a healthy alternative to butter, it is still a fat so ensure that it makes up part of a balanced diet.
Ghee vs Butter
Ghee, which originated in India, can be used as a substitute for fat & butter in almost every way. Too much fat, especially trans fats, can be dangerous which can lead to heart disease, and ghee is no exception. However, ghee contains essential nutrients that other fats don’t have. Eating it in moderation can help balance cholesterol levels, protect from chronic disease, improve eye health and can even prevent certain types of cancer.
You can use ghee as a cooking fat for sautéing or a replacement for cooking oil. You can also put a teaspoon in your morning coffee, melt and drizzle on homemade popcorn or swap it for butter on toast!
What is ghee Used For?
Ghee has traditionally been used in India for thousands of years and just like butter or oil in any other recipe, ghee can be used as a replacement. It can be used for all types of frying and used instead of coconut oil and even vegetable oil. Sometimes you don’t need to be crazy creative with ghee and just like butter you can simply melt it and spread it on your morning toast, use it to melt into your Sunday roast veggies or why not pour it on popcorn when you cozy down for your next movie.
Is Ghee Expensive?
Unfortunately, ghee isn’t cheap. A small container of this stuff can cost anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars. Luckily for us, ghee is easy to make at home and isn’t as expensive. Here’s our favorite homemade ghee recipe that you can make at home today!
Does Ghee Go bad?
As ghee is simply a food type, yes indeed it can go bad. However, the important thing is to understand how to store your ghee once you have made it so you can preserve it for longer. Remember, clarified butters don’t have any milk solids so this means it keeps much better than butter.
Do you refrigerate Ghee?
Yes, refrigerate your Ghee to keep it longer!
Is Ghee Dairy?
Ghee is made from milk (dairy), but because of the clarification process, it contains almost no lactose or milk protein (casein). Due to its highly clarified nature, it is often tolerated better by people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk. But remember, anything that is made from milk is a dairy product, which means ghee is also a dairy product.
Is Ghee Vegan?
Ghee contains butterfat and is ultimately derived from an animal product (milk), so therefore it is hard to consider ghee as being vegan. Some could argue that ghee does not contain milk solids, which are removed when it is made so although not vegan it can be considered ‘lactose-free’ and ‘paleo-friendly’
Does ghee have casein or lactose?
Milk is a protein while Ghee is fat. Casein and Lactose, therefore, will be present in very low to no quantity in Ghee.
Is Ghee Paleo?
Distinguished by the original development of stone tools the Palaeolithic period, or stone-age as it is more commonly known has proved an inspiration for a new diet - the paleo diet. It mainly involves eating foods that are fresh and packed with nutrients, mimicking our ancient ancestors. As part of this diet, one is able to eat, eggs, plenty of veggies, nuts and seeds, fruits, seafood, fish and lean meats. As ghee is free of lactose and is a natural oil, it is considered Paleo.
Is Ghee Keto Friendly?
The keto diet aims to push the body into a state of ketosis, where the liver breaks down fats and produces ketones which the body uses for energy production. The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that helps the body avoid storing fats unnecessarily and burn off the glucose. On a keto diet, the main food source are healthy fats and vegetables, and the fewer carbohydrates you consume the faster your body will enter ketosis.
Mainly the diet consists of meats, fatty dairy products, green vegetables and healthy fats such as coconut oil and olive oil. Ghee has a high content of fatty acids and healthy fats so it proves to be ideal for the keto diet.
How to remove the smell from homemade Ghee?
Well, one tip we heard of goes something like this…
‘To remove the smell from ghee, add 250g yogurt for every 5kg ghee. Heat it up, when yogurt starts to burn, strain ghee and cool it. The yogurt will remove odd smell of ghee’
Not bad ey!
Is Ghee good for children?
With its myriad of health benefits then indeed ghee can be good for your children, of course, in moderation. Your child needs a healthy fat intake whilst they grow, so ghee can serve this purpose well. Ghee has also been shown to improve memory which any growing adult would benefit from!
What is the best brand of Ghee?
When it comes to brands of ghee there proves to be no shortage. Of course, India naturally produces much of the world’s supply but nowadays you will find ghee brands being produced all over the world.
Click here for a comprehensive list of the top 10 grass-fed ghee brands out there!
Is Ghee Good for Pregnant Women?
Eating ghee whilst you are pregnant is perfectly fine, in moderation, and proves easier to digest and helps boost metabolism. You can look to eat about 2-3 teaspoons of ghee daily whilst you are pregnant.
Ghee Recipe
Ingredients
16 ounces of unsalted, organic and grass-fed butter, olive oil
Directions
- Cut butter into cubes and place in a medium-size saucepan
- Heat the butter over medium heat [with a dash of olive oil] until completely melted.
- Reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes (this will vary based on how hot your stove is).
- Once the melted butter is bright gold in colour and there are reddish-brown pieces of milk solids at the bottom of the pan – the ghee is done!
- Let cool slightly for 2-3 minutes.
- Line a mesh strainer with several layers of cheesecloth and slowly pour the ghee through a strainer.
- The milk solids will get stuck in the strainer
- Pour the golden oil into a glass container and store in the fridge for up to one month
So try Ghee today! And for another dairy-free treat check out our special Nagi bars which all boast being dairy-free, soy-free, GMO-free, vegan-friendly and packed with raw protein
