Ghee

Although you can certainly find ghee at your local health food store you might find that it is cheaper and more rewarding to make at home. You can and should use ghee as you would normally use butter. Tastes great on almost anything - especially muffins, bagels and all other bread foods. Although the taste seems unusual at first - maybe a distant cousin of butter, your palate quickly adjusts and soon you forget why you ever found butter compelling in the first place!

GHEE

Organic Unsalted Butter

Place it in a nice heavy stainless steel saucepan (not teflon or aluminum). Then you melt it and bring to a simmer and it pops (it talks to you).

Then you let it simmer (be in the area). It depends on how much you put in there, thickness of pan and cook top. When it stops popping it is ready. It will form foam on the top and some skim on the bottom.

Once it starts simmering don’t mess with it, don’t touch it or add water or anything. Let it be! It will turn amber when it stops popping and you MUST get it then otherwise it will burn.

Remove from heat and let cool just long enough to be able to put through strainer or unbleached cheese-cloth. Pour it into mason jars (best because it has a seal) – should be clean dry mason jar.

Keep it on a shelf inside a cupboard. It will stay good for a LONG time. Once you open it you must dispense with a clean utensil and no water can get into it or else it will mold.

Health benefits

It is used medicinally in aryuveda and draws accumulated toxins out of your system unlike butter, which is congesting. It also does wonders for your skin and your hair.

More on Ghee from "Ayurveda: A Life of Balance"

Ghee is one of the most ancient and sattvic foods known. Used judiciously, it is ideal for cooking as it does not burn unless heated excessively. It synergizes with the food nutrients and nourishes the bodily constituents. It also serves as a base for herbal ointments to treat burns, skin rashes, and other such conditions. Ghee is good for all doshas and is a specific for Pitta. Minimal use is recommended for Kapha types.