Ghee is typically prepared bysimmeringbutter, skimming any impurities from the surface, then pouring and retaining the clear liquid fat while discarding the solid residue that settles at the bottom.Spices can be added for flavour. The texture, colour, and taste of ghee depend on the quality of the butter, the milk used in the process, and the duration of boiling.
The wordghee is borrowed from theHindi wordघी (ghī), which comes fromSanskrit:घृत (ghṛta-,IPA:[ɡʱr̩tɐ]) 'clarified butter'; traditionally derived from the rootघृ,ghṛ-, 'to sprinkle',[5] and socognate with theAncient Greek wordχριστός (khristós, 'rubbed, anointed'), from which the English wordChrist is derived.[6]
Traditionally, ghee is made frombovine milk, eithercow orwater buffalo, and has been used in rituals since theVedic period. It is a sacred requirement inVedicyajña andhoma (fire rituals), through the medium ofAgni (fire) to offer oblations to various deities (See:Yajurveda).
Fire rituals are utilised for ceremonies such as marriage and funerals. Ghee is required in Vedic worship ofmūrtis (divine deities), withaarti (offering of ghee lamp) calleddiyā ordīpa and forPañcāmṛta (Panchamruta) where ghee along withmishri,honey,milk, anddahi (curd) is used for bathing the deities on the appearance day ofKrishna onJanmashtami,Śiva (Shiva) onMahā-śivarātrī (Maha Shivaratri). There is ahymn to ghee.[7] In theMahabharata, theKaurava were born from pots of ghee.[8]
InBuddhist scripture, stages of dairy production are used as metaphors for stages of enlightenment. The highest-stage product,sarpir-maṇḍa, is theorised to be ghee or clarified butter.[11]
Ghee is common incuisines from theIndian subcontinent, including traditional rice preparations (such asbiryani). InMaharashtra, polis orIndian flatbreads are accompanied with ghee. InRajasthan, ghee often accompaniesbaati. All overNorth India,roti is served with ghee. InKarnataka andTamil Nadu, ghee is provided alongsidedosa andkesari bhath. InBengal (bothWest Bengal andBangladesh) andGujarat,khichdi is a traditional evening meal of rice withlentils, cooked in acurry made fromdahi (curd),cumin seeds,curry leaves,cornflour,turmeric,garlic, salt and ghee. It is also an ingredient inkadhi andIndian sweets, such asMysore pak, and varieties ofhalva andladdu.Indian restaurants typically incorporate large amounts of ghee, sometimes brushingnaan androti with it, either during preparation or just before serving. In the state ofOdisha ghee is widely used inOdia dishes such askhechedi anddalma. Thesattvic food prepared in most temples in Odisha has ghee as a major ingredient in its culinary tradition. Ghee is used inSouth Indian cuisine for tempering curries and in the preparation of rice dishes and sweets. North Indians also add ghee to rice before eating it with pickles, dal and curries. North Indians are among the biggest consumers of ghee. Vegetarian dishes ofAndhra Pradesh especially use ghee for the preparation of savoury and sweet dishes alike. Ghee is important to traditionalNorth Indian cuisine, withparathas,daals and curries often using ghee instead of oil for a richer taste. The type of ghee, in terms of animal source, tends to vary with the dish; for example, ghee prepared from cow's milk (Bengali:গাওয়া ঘী, gaoa ghi) is traditional withrice orroti or as a finishing drizzle atop a curry ordal, whereas buffalo milk ghee is more typical for general cooking purposes.
Ghee is a usefulfat fordeep frying because itssmoke point (where its molecules begin to break down) is 250 °C (482 °F), which is well above typical cooking temperatures of around 200 °C (392 °F) and above that of most vegetable oils.[12]
The main flavour components of ghee arecarbonyls,free fatty acids,lactones, andalcohols.[13] Along with the flavour of milk fat, the ripening of thebutter and the temperature at which it isclarified also affect the flavour. For example, ghee produced at 100 °C (212 °F) or lower has a milder flavour, whereas 120 °C (248 °F) results in a strong flavour.[13]
The production of ghee differs slightly from that ofclarified butter. The process of creating clarified butter is complete once the water is evaporated and the fat (clarified butter) is separated from themilk solids. However, the production of ghee includes simmering the butter, which makes it nutty-tasting and aromatic.[14][15][16][17]
A traditionalAyurvedic recipe for ghee is to boil raw milk and let it cool to 43 °C (109 °F). After leaving it covered at room temperature for around 12 hours, add a bit ofdahi (yogurt) to it and leave it overnight. This makes more yogurt. This is churned with water, to obtain cultured butter, which is used to simmer into ghee.[18]
Like any clarified butter, ghee is composed almost entirely offat.[19] One commercial preparation in India was found to contain significant amounts oftrans fats, while others contained significantly less.[20] It has negligible amounts oflactose andcasein and is, therefore, acceptable to most people who have alactose intolerance or milk allergy.[21][22]
There are five common methods through which ghee is prepared. Industrial preparation on the other hand is done by using "white butter", usually sourced from other dairies and contractors.[29]
In the cream butter method, cream is separated from milk and churned to produce butter. The butter then undergoes heat clarification.
This method is suitable for large quantities of butter. Butter is melted at 80–85 °C (176–185 °F) for 30 minutes. Layers of protein particles, fat andbuttermilk are induced. The buttermilk is drained out. The remaining layers of fat are heated to a temperature of 110 °C (230 °F) to remove moisture and develop flavour.[30]
Ghee bottles in Food Fair (2025), Palace Grounds, BangaloreGhee may be packaged in airtight glass jars and stored without refrigeration
Ghee is generally found to be packaged in airtight glass jars. They should be kept away from direct sunlight as sunlight can cause moisture to build inside the jar. Moisture can cause deterioration to the ghee's quality as well as reduce itsshelf life. To prevent the acceleration of theoxidation process, they should be protected from anything that causes it, such asUV rays from sunlight and fluorescent lights. If the jar is unopened, it does not need to be refrigerated as long as the previously mentioned conditions are met. Once opened, they can be stored in a kitchen cabinet for up to three months. Afterwards, it may be left in the refrigerator for up to a year. The refrigerator causes ghee to harden but if it is left at room temperature for a while, it will soften up again.
Ghee may be made of milk from variousdomesticatedungulates, such as cows, buffaloes and sheep.[31] The composition of ghee varies depending on the animal whose milk has been used. Thevitamin A content ranged from 315 to 375 μg per 100 grams.[31]Palmitic acid andoleic acid were two of the main fatty acids found in both cow and sheep ghee. The saturated fatty acid profile was 53.9 to 66.8%, the unsaturated fatty acid profile was 22.8 to 38.0% and the other fatty acids was 3.5 to 10.4%.[31]Cholesterol amounts ranged from 252 to 284 mg/100 grams.[31]
The market size of ghee inIndia is 10,000crore rupees or US$1.5 billion as of 2016. India is the world's largest producer of buffalo and cow milk and consequently also the largest producer and consumer of ghee.[32][33]
^as contrasted withनवनीत,navanīta 'fresh butter': Carl Darling Buck,A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages, 1949, reprinted 1992ISBN0226079376, p. 399, §5.89 'Butter'
^abcdAbdulrhmanAl-Khalifah, HassanAl-Kahtani (1 January 1993). "Composition of ghee (Samn Barri's) from cow's and sheep's milk".Food Chemistry.46 (4):373–375.doi:10.1016/0308-8146(93)90007-3.ISSN0308-8146.
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