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September 16, 2025
How to make Ghee and Clarified Butter (same thing!) Recipe
It is a recipe for learn how to make Ghee and Clarified Butter – they’re nearly the identical factor (extra on this later). Extraordinarily straightforward, cheaper than shopping for, shelf-stable, and has a excessive smoke level which makes it wonderful for pan frying or roasting issues at excessive warmth with out burning like regular butter.
It’s the fats utilized in many conventional Indian curries for intense buttery richness, to make pan fried issues like Potato Rosti tremendous crispy, and a restaurant secret for additional lush Hollandaise Sauce (in 90 seconds!).
What’s clarified butter and ghee?
And why do I find it irresistible a lot? Right here’s why!
- Clarified Butter is regular butter minus the dairy part and water ie simply butter fats;
- Ghee is a kind of Clarified Butter, greatest often known as utilized in Indian cooking. Arguably the purest kind as a result of the strategy to make it ensures 100% of the dairy is eliminated, whereas some primary strategies for clarified butter are usually not as thorough;
- They’ve a extra intense butter flavour and within the case of Ghee, a barely nutty flavour imparted by the browned milk solids;
- Is a beautiful golden yellow color;
- Is totally clear and pure, not clouded with milky bits and foam like regular melted butter;
- Makes issues way more crisp than butter – such because the Potato Rosti pictured under; and
- Has a excessive smoke level of 230°C/450°F, in comparison with butter which has a smoke level of solely 175°C/350°F. That is the truth is greater than some vegetable oils, which means you should utilize clarified butter/ghee simply as you’ll a standard cooking fats, frying and sauteeing issues at a excessive temperature with out setting off the smoke alarm.
I’ve used clarified butter and ghee in a handful of recipes and in every of these I maintain repeating the identical instructions for learn how to make it at dwelling in case you can’t discover it, plus it’s about half the worth to make at dwelling.
So I assumed it was about time I put up a separate recipe for it – as a result of it’s really easy!
How you can make Ghee / How you can make Clarified Butter
In case you can soften butter on the range, you can also make ghee! Basically, you simply depart butter on a medium low range for 10 minutes till you see golden bits on the bottom of the pan that are the milk solids – and this implies it’s executed. The water has evaporated and the dairy has solidified which might be strained out.
Right here’s the way it adjustments through the simmering time:
Then merely line a mesh colander with a paper towel and pressure. Then marvel on the unbelievable liquid gold – and the odor! It’s insane – so buttery and nutty!
How you can retailer ghee / clarified butter
Ghee and clarified butter may be stored within the pantry as a result of the dairy has been eliminated and the butter is now 100% fats, so it received’t spoil. It is going to maintain for 3 months within the pantry – or perhaps a 12 months within the fridge!
Essential be aware: different primary strategies of creating clarified butter – resembling simply skimming the froth off – are usually not as thorough in eradicating all of the dairy. So you shouldn’t retailer that within the pantry, it have to be stored within the fridge. And I personally wouldn’t maintain it any longer than the shelf lifetime of the butter you used.
Ghee is liquid when it’s heat. Within the pantry, it can agency up however nonetheless be fairly mushy – form of like peanut butter consistency – as depicted under. In case you refrigerate it, it turns into very agency, like butter, but it surely appears to be like form of grainy (melts utterly clean).
What butter to make use of
I exploit unsalted butter. Ghee and clarified butter bought on the retailer is unsalted.
You need to use salted in case you favor, however unsalted is handier as a result of it’s the usual in recipes so that you don’t have to fret about oversalting issues as a result of you will have salted ghee.
What’s clarified butter? What’s ghee? And what’s the distinction?
Clarified butter and ghee are the just about identical factor. Each are merely regular butter with the water and milk solids eliminated, forsaking pure butter fats. Pure butter fats has a extra intense butter flavour and the next smoke level, which means it’s appropriate for utilizing identical to common cooking oil.
Put one other manner, butter is made up of about 82% fats, and the remaining is dairy (milk solids) and water. The dairy is what leaves black spots in your meals once you sear over excessive warmth – as a result of it burns. The water is what stops issues going extremely crispy once you pan fry in butter, and it dilutes the butter flavour.
So with clarified butter, the water is eliminated and the dairy part is strained out, leaving you with pure butter fats.
The distinction between ghee and clarified butter
Clarified butter is the final time period for butter that has had water and milk solids eliminated, as defined above. Nonetheless there are totally different strategies for attaining this. One of many quickest and most typical strategies is to soften the butter, skim off the froth (that are the milk solids that originally float to the floor) and pour off the butter fats to be used, forsaking any remaining water.
Ghee nonetheless takes a particular strategy to clarifying butter. As an alternative of skimming, you proceed to warmth the butter till all of the water boils off, the milk solids go brown and sink to the underside, and eventually are strained out. As you may see that is the precise methodology I’ve offered above. So what you get with mine is true ghee! Consider it as a particular type of clarified butter. I discover it’s not solely easier, however has a superior flavour too AND you may be assured that each little bit of dairy has been eliminated so it’s protected to maintain for months – years, if saved within the fridge!!!
What to do with ghee / clarified butter
Each ghee and clarified butter are utilized in cooking, versus unfold on toast or bread. You need to use it instead of butter in recipes as a result of it has the next smoke level than oil – it can make issues crisper and also you received’t get these burnt black spots you get from pan frying in butter.
Listed below are a number of examples:
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Because the fats for nearly each Indian dish, particularly curries – conventional use of ghee;
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To make the crispiest, greatest tasting Potato Rosti you’ve ever had;
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Rather than oil or butter in any recipe for pan frying, roasting, sauces. Attempt Garlic Prawns with butter as a substitute of oil, use it to pan-fry fish, for crispy roasted potatoes, buttery roast carrots, or this butter smeared Herb and Garlic Roast Chicken, Standing Rib Roast or Turkey Breast (use the ghee softened, not melted);
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In Hollandaise Sauce for Eggs Benedict – for a richer flavour and smoother sauce;
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Elegant, traditional French Sauce for pan fried fish – see Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish;
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Drizzle steamed, braised or roasted greens to make it even tastier;
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Toss by means of this Film Popcorn or Frivolously Candy ‘n Salty Popcorn – it stays CRISP for days, in contrast to when utilizing regular butter!
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Drizzle over soup;
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To make rice dishes, resembling Mushroom Risotto or Buttery Seasoned Rice;
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To take advantage of superb steak ever.
Notice: Use with warning in baking recipes (resembling truffles and cookies). Baking is a science – so that you don’t need to muck round with batters.
Lastly, it’s price figuring out that ghee is a secret ingredient utilized by Cooks in high-quality eating eating places so as to add an additional contact of buttery flavour into dishes. Whether or not it’s brushing filo pastry for baklava or stirring by means of Creamy Mashed Potato or to take advantage of superb Mashed Cauliflower of your life, it’s simply one of many little methods utilized by professionals to make meals additional particular.
And now YOU can do it too! – Johnsat x
Watch learn how to make it
Ingredients
- 250g / 2 sticks unsalted butter , cut into 2.5cm / 1″ cubes (or so)
Instructions
- Use a small or medium saucepan or small skillet with a silver base so it's easier to see when milk solids are golden.
- Put butter in then let it melt over medium-low heat.
- Leave to simmer for 10 minutes – it will start to foam at about 5 minutes, then at 7 minutes most of the foam will be gone, and by the end the foam should be almost all gone.
- The ghee is ready when the milk solids that settle on the base of the pan turn golden.
- Strain through a mesh colander lined with a single sheet of paper towel.
- Then pour into a jar for storage. Keep in the pantry 3 months (firms to peanut butter consistency), or fridge 1 year (hardens like butter).
- Use in place of butter or fat for pan frying, roasting, sauces. The smoke point of ghee / clarified butter is 230°C / 450°F which is considerably higher than common oils such as vegetable oil and olive oil, so it won't smoke and burn.
- Use with caution in baking recipes – such as cakes and cookies.
Notes
Scaling recipe up – it will take longer for the water to evaporate after which the foam will subside, fall to the bottom and turn brown. Use a skillet if you can – lower walls = faster evaporation (but don’t use one too big, you don’t want the butter spread too thin).
Scaling recipe down – use a smaller saucepan otherwise the butter will spread too thinly and will be difficult to monitor.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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