Homemade Desi Ghee | Homemade clarified butter from milk cream or malai

“Ghee” or “Clarified butter” is made in indian households from the fresh cream or malai collected over a period of time from milk or curd. For those who don’t know how you get cream, it is made from boiled milk which is cooled down and then a layer of fresh milk cream or malai is formed over its surface.

Homemade Ghee is considered sacred and used for religious purposes in puja, as it is considered as purest. Today ghee is available in market whether in India or abroad but nothing tastes as pure and as delicious than homemade version. So here I am sharing the recipe of making ghee from milk cream or malai. Hope this helps you out.

Serves: yields 250 to 300 gms. of ghee

Preparation time: 20-25 mins.

Cooking time: 35-40 mins.

Ingredients:

About 800 gms. to 1 kg of milk cream (collected over 8 to 10 days)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, keep collecting the cream from milk. Keep this bowl in refrigerator until you collect enough cream to extract ghee.
2. In a big utensil, transfer all the cream collected and keep at room temperature for 2-3 hours. (this speeds up the process of separating butter from cream)
3. Start churning the cream with wooden whisk (traditional mathani) and add ice cold water about 1 cup. Whisk for about 5 minutes.
4. Now, add the mixture to the blender in batches and blend until butterfat separated from butter milk.
5. Collect all the butter fat and buttermilk in bowl and by using your hands separate the butter fat in a heavy bottom pan or kadhai (this we will use to heat on the gas stove) while separating the butter milk.
6. This butter milk can be used in various recipes like masala buttermilk.
7. Now, put the kadhai or pan with butterfat on the gas stove. The butter will start to melt and become frothy.
8. As the butter starts boiling, simmer the flame and keep cooking on low heat while stirring in between. (Stirring is important as it prevents the milk solids to stick to bottom of pan)
9. After 20 minutes or so, the foam starts to settle and milk granules start to separate and settle at the bottom.
10. Increase the flame to medium and let the ghee boil for few more minutes about 5-8 minutes.
11. After sometime you will see golden yellow colour ghee and brownish milk solids at the bottom. Switch off the flame at this point and allow the ghee to cool down.
12. When the ghee cools down, strain it using a mesh strainer and separate ghee from milk solids.
13. Transfer the ghee to storage container and store it in cool and dark place.
14. Use the homemade ghee for religious purposes or curries or making indian sweets, the choice is endless.

Step By Step:

In a large bowl, keep collecting the cream from milk. Keep this bowl in refrigerator until you collect enough cream to extract ghee.

In a big utensil, transfer all the cream collected and keep at room temperature for 2-3 hours. (this speeds up the process of separating butter from cream)

Start churning the cream with wooden whisk (traditional mathani) and add ice cold water about 1 cup. Whisk for about 5 minutes.

Now, add the mixture to the blender in batches and blend until butterfat separated from butter milk.

Collect all the butter fat and buttermilk in bowl and by using your hands separate the butter fat in a heavy bottom pan or kadhai (this we will use to heat on the gas stove) while separating the butter milk. (This butter milk can be used in various recipes like masala buttermilk.)

Now, put the kadhai or pan with butterfat on the gas stove. The butter will start to melt and become frothy.

As the butter starts boiling, simmer the flame and keep cooking on low heat while stirring in between. (Stirring is important as it prevents the milk solids to stick to bottom of pan)

After 20 minutes or so, the foam starts to settle and milk granules start to separate and settle at the bottom.

Increase the flame to medium and let the ghee boil for few more minutes about 5-8 minutes.

After sometime you will see golden yellow colour ghee and brownish milk solids at the bottom.

Switch off the flame at this point and allow the ghee to cool down.

When the ghee cools down, strain it using a mesh strainer and separate ghee from milk solids.

Transfer the ghee to storage container and store it in cool and dark place.

Use the homemade ghee for religious purposes or curries or making indian sweets, the choice is endless.