Glorious Ghee!

Until about a year ago, I excluded butter from my diet for various reasons. Being vegan for many years meant I obviously didn't choose to eat it, then when I started eating some animal products again, consciously choosing only ethically sourced eggs and fish, I still only ate dairy on very rare occasions. I slowly began eating more organic yogurt and occasional cheese, but butter seemed like an unnecessary luxury to me, one I could happily replace with oils, avocado or nut butters. It's very true! Butter is easily replaced with these creamy, lubricating foods, and I still do love them often in place of butter. However, When I started eating good quality, organic, grass-fed butter again, I wondered how had I gone without for so long?! There is something about its golden buttery texture that is replaceable in my eyes now for certain dishes (like on homemade toast or in my real-butter shortbreads) and after learning about the health benefits of eating real butter (there is a big difference between real, grass-fed butter and man-made margarine, read more here!) I was happily using butter again and feeling good about it.

Now butter was one revelation, but when a friend of mine across the seas started posting her beautiful recipes which included ghee, I was intrigued to try making some. I suddenly started seeing ghee in many recipes I wanted to try, and after a trip to India last year, I was eager to start experimenting. Ghee is butter which has had the milk solids removed, aka, clarified butter, and used as a staple in many Indian recipes. As  the lactose is removed in the process, people who are lactose intolerant can eat ghee with no problems. In Ayurvedic beliefs, ghee is thought to aid digestion, stimulate the secretion of stomach acids and assimilation of vitamins and minerals, strengthen the immune system, balance the nervous system and contain anti-viral fatty acids! 

Beautiful golden ghee, photo by Lorien of Wholesome Loving Goodness!

Check out her joyful video on how to make your own ghee here! Thanks Lorien for sharing her amazing knowledge, and expect to see more ghee recipes coming soon!