Eat ghee to enhance the health of the body: it is better than butter
Ghee, or clarified butter, as it is also known, is a fat free of butters bad qualities, namely milk solids and saturated fats. Ghee has been around a very long time and is a very important aspect of the Indian diet. It is fat, no doubt, but a good fat, a useful fat. According to the science of ayurveda, ghee is a connective tissue lubricating substance that also develops flexibility.
Ghee is used for the treatment of certain conditions such as inflammation, certain types of digestive disorders, makes a good antiseptic cream (in combination with honey) for wounds on the skin, can be used as a beauty aid for certain skin types and can even improve memory and cognition.
The medicinal qualities of ghee can be amplified by mixing herbs into it. Of late, ghee has come under the scientific scanner for it purported antioxidant prowess as well.
Ghee is recently fast gaining respect as a health food, even though it has been around for centuries. Any health food store is likely to sell ghee, but it can just as easily be made at home from unsalted butter. In India, for example, it is common practice to churn the buttermilk till it oozes butter, which is subsequently melted and made into ghee. This process is laborious and time consuming, so a lump of butter from the store will do just as well.
Place the butter in a slightly heated pan. Allow it to melt and observe that it crackles and boils over. Lower the heat when it does, and wait till the crackling settles. Remove the pan from heat. The moment when the crackling subsides is critical because this means the ghee is done perfectly - the water has been removed and the protein has drifted to the bottom. The milk solids at the bottom of the pan are usually left there and the just the liquid is stored for use.
Ghee needs no refrigeration, typically, but must be stored in such a way that all contact with moisture is avoided. It can be eaten daily with a meal or just by itself. It has a mildly nutty consistency and flavor, but is smooth by the same token. It can be given to children and pregnant and nursing mothers too.
A word of caution: “ghee is a good fat” still means it is a fat. So consume with restrain and limit the intake of other fats when eating ghee. If your child is a fussy eater, try giving her a spoon of ghee when she simply refuses her lunch. It is not a meal replacement, but can still provide some calories and nourishment in the place of none.
Ghee can be used for cooking too, instead of butter or oil. The taste of the food will be greatly enhanced and so will its nutritional index.
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