Ghee, also known as ghrita in Sanskrit, has been popular in India for ages. Ghrita, or clarified butter, is now well-known in many Western countries as well. But is ghee healthy? That’s a question many people ask, especially with the rise of Ayurvedic wellness trends.
Well, ghee is not only used in a wide variety of Indian cuisines, but it also holds a significant place in Ayurvedic medicine. The benefits of ghee are indeed super.
Nowadays, ghee is readily available in markets throughout the world, including the U.S. and Europe.
But if you want to make ghee at home, its recipe is fairly simple, and it can easily be made at home.
This article will give you an easy recipe for homemade ghee while listing the real 10 benefits of ghee and its uses in Ayurveda.
10 real ghee benefits and characteristics
Desi ghee has a subtle, sweet taste, a delightful aroma, and a golden or golden-brown color.
Ghee helps to manage vata dosha
Ayurveda considers desi ghee to be a sattvic food. It helps manage vata and pitta dosha-related disorders and is valued for the health benefits of ghee in overall well-being. The fatty acid profile of ghee is complex. It contains saturated fats and cholesterol. The exact chemical composition of ghee can vary depending on the source of the milk used. Generally, cow or buffalo milk is used to make desi ghee.
Good for lactose intolerants
Desi ghee is a liquid that solidifies in cold temperatures. It is basically butterfat without lactose and casein and is thus beneficial for people with lactose intolerance or dairy allergies. This is one of the many ghee benefits that make it a preferred choice for those with dietary restrictions.
Ghee has a longer shelf life
At room temperature, it has a longer shelf life compared to butter. The longer shelf life of desi ghee is mainly due to its low moisture content.
Desi ghee is full of antioxidants
Desi ghee is also full of antioxidants. It simply makes you feel a little more nourished from the inside.
A Safer Choice for High-Heat Cooking
Many people prefer cooking with desi ghee instead of butter since it doesn’t burn as quickly. It has a higher smoking point compared to other oils and butter. Thus, on heating, it doesn’t break into harmful free radicals. Oil smoke can even be harmful to one’s respiratory system.
Ghee is good for skin disorders
It is used for numerous applications, including the treatment of allergies, skin disorders, and respiratory diseases, among many other conditions.
Ghee has many nutritional benefits
Many Ayurvedic preparations involve cooking herbs in desi ghee. Ayurvedic texts describe how ghee’s nutritional benefits ensure the maximum absorption of the medicine into the body’s tissues. Read More on Ayurvedic Cooking – Everything You Need To Know
A Powerful Ayurvedic Carrier
It is an excellent anupana (vehicle) or medium. Anupana means a vehicle or medium that gets Ayurvedic medicine deeper into the dhatu or tissues of the body. Ghee’s nutritional benefits play a crucial role in this process, helping nutrients and herbs reach their intended targets more effectively. The lipophilic action of desi ghee facilitates the transportation of medicine to a target organ and final delivery inside the cell since the cell membranes also contain lipids.
Ghee Boosts the Power of Ayurvedic Remedies
A study that compared different forms of herbs and herb extracts found that the efficacy of Ayurvedic medicines increased when they were used with ghee.1
How do I check ghee’s purity?
The purity of desi ghee can be determined very easily. Take a solidified ghee sample and place a spoonful onto your palm. If the ghee starts to melt, it is pure.
Alternatively, heat a pan and add a spoonful of the sample. If the color of the sample changes to reddish-brown, it is pure. If the ghee takes longer to melt or turns yellow, it is adulterated.
How To Make Ghee At Home
Given below is the ghee recipe:
Preparation Duration: 40-50 minutes
Ingredients: 1-2 cups of cream collected from whole milk or regular milk (3.25% fat)
You can use either of these ingredients to make desi ghee.
- Boiled milk, when cooled in the refrigerator for a day, forms a thick layer of cream. This cream is collected for a while and made into butter. This butter is then used to make clarified butter or desi ghee.
- Alternatively, you can use store-bought butter to make desi ghee.
- Some people use yogurt to make butter. The yogurt is first made from regular or whole milk, and the cream is separated from the yogurt for making butter that is later used for making desi ghee.
Read More: Ghee – The Ancient Indian Food Miracle
Making Ghee From Butter
1. Heat the extracted butter in a deep utensil on a low flame/low heat till it melts. You want to avoid using high heat as this will burn the mixture and make your clarified butter bitter in taste.
2. When the butter starts melting, bubbles will start appearing. Stir this mixture thoroughly.
3. After 20-25 minutes of slow cooking, the foam formed thus far will settle down, and all the moisture will have evaporated by now.
4. The remaining sediment will start turning golden in color. The leftover milk granules will also settle down.
5. Scoop the sediment or strain it through a sieve into a clean container. Throw out whatever doesn’t get filtered.
6. Your homemade ghee is ready for use. This ghee should have a shelf life of 8-10 months or more, depending on the surrounding climate and other factors.
It’s not that difficult to make ghee at home, right? We hope you liked the ghee recipe.
Different Uses of Ghee As Per Ayurveda
These are the ghee uses as described in Charaka Samhita.2
- It is helpful in managing Pitta dosha and Vata dosha problems.
- It is beneficial for rasa dhatu, shukra dhatu, and ojas.
- It is helpful in relieving a burning sensation.
- It makes the skin softer.
- Improves the quality of one’s voice and complexion
Indications For Administration 3
- Problems related to aggravated or low Vata and Pitta dosha.
- Maintaining eyesight.
- Chest injuries.
- Weakness or emaciation.
- Elderly and children.
- Longevity
- Increasing physical strength
- Better skin complexion
- Better voice
- Facial luster or glow
- Softer skin
- Nourishment of the body
- Increasing ojas or immunity.
- Improving cognition
- Burns, wounds, and other injuries.
Chemical Composition of Desi Ghee
Desi ghee4 contains 99-99.5% fats and less than 1% moisture, unsaponifiable matter, and traces of charred casein, carotene, and fat-soluble vitamins.
Some findings also suggested that desi ghee prepared by traditional Ayurvedic methods, as compared to commercially prepared desi ghee, contains a higher amount of DHA; Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is a major component of retinal and brain tissues and remains important in the prevention of various diseases. Desi ghee has other benefits as well.
Scientific Research on Clarified Butter
Clarified butter or desi ghee has a slew of benefits that have been further substantiated by scientific research5. A clinical study done on rats showed that consumption of 10% ghee may increase triglyceride levels but does not increase lipid peroxidation processes that are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
In another clinical study, a dose-dependent decrease in serum total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides was observed; decreased liver total cholesterol, triglycerides, and cholesterol esters; and a lower level of nonenzymatic-induced lipid peroxidation in liver homogenate.
Similar results were obtained with heated (oxidized) ghee. When ghee was used as the sole source of fat at a 10% level, there was a large increase in oleic acid levels and a large decrease in arachidonic acid levels in serum lipids.
A study done on a rural population in India showed a significantly lower prevalence of coronary heart disease in men who consumed higher amounts of ghee.
High doses of medicated ghee decreased serum cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol esters in psoriasis patients. There were significant improvements in the patients’ psoriasis symptoms as well.
MAK-4, a herbal mixture containing ghee, increased the resistance of LDL to oxidation in hyperlipidemic patients and had no effect on levels of serum total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, or triglycerides in these patients.
Other mixtures containing ghee have shown hepatoprotective effects, anticonvulsant activity, effects on the enhancement of memory, and enhancement of wound healing.
These positive research findings support the beneficial effects of ghee as described in the ancient Ayurvedic texts. However, these studies are done on a limited number of people under controlled environments and require further investigations.
You should always consult your Ayurvedic practitioner or primary healthcare provider before introducing ghee into your diet.
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