Desi Ghee or clarified butter is the heart and soul of many Indian kitchens and sits proudly on the cooking shelf. A dash of Desi Ghee can make any dull dish tastier, a paratha more richer, yummy and most importantly nothing cleans your body like a dose of Desi Ghee. But as all things have their own story to tell even the humble ghee has a history behind its use as well. It has been in our Indian cooking as early as 1500 BC. It is considered a supreme cooking and frying medium for the preparation of sweets and several food items.
Ayurveda has traditionally considered ghee to be the healthiest source of edible fat, with many beneficial properties that promote longevity and protects the body from various diseases.
- It increases the digestive fire, improves absorption and assimilation.
- It nourishes the hair, the texture of the skin, improves memory and strengthens the brain and nervous system.
- It lubricates the connective tissues, thereby rendering the body more suppleness and flexibility.
How is Ghee made?
Ghee is good but has a tedious and long procedure of making. Ghee is produced in India from both buffalo and cow milk. Ghee is the pure clarified fat derived solely from milk, desi (cooking) butter, or cream, to which no colouring is added. It is prepared by first fermenting whole milk to curd, then through the process of churning, the curd separates to get butter and boiling down the remaining to ghee.
Benefits of the Desi Ghee:-
Ghee being fat oil was once considered unhealthy because it is saturated, but research has now revealed the truth about fats and oils. Ghee is one of the seven healthy fats you need in your kitchen. Some of the benefits are listed below:
High nutritional value
Ghee is rich in oil soluble vitamins A, E and D. We get Omega-3 form of fat, K2 and KLA (CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) an antioxidant with anti-viral properties if sourced from healthy grass-fed cows. The significant levels of vitamin A are ideal for protecting eye health.
Energy booster
The healthy fat in ghee processed by the liver produces energy and does not promote weight gain rather it boosts our energy level. This kind of energy is needed for athletes or people with active, high-energy lifestyles where ghee can provide the necessary burst of energy that needs to get through a challenging day.
Healthy heart
People connect ghee, butter as a negative item for a healthy heart, but surprisingly ghee provides a healthy boost to the heart. Omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease your levels of unhealthy cholesterol and provide an energetic balance to fat intake.
Reduces allergy
Even though ghee is a by product from milk, lactose does have an allergic tendency to few individuals. But ghee is clarified butter with no traces of dairy residue and so will reduce the allergy in such people if they opt for ghee instead of butter or milk.
Helps soothe inflammation
The butyric acid, present in ghee is one of the most beneficial fatty acids that the body needs. According to recent research Butyric acid actually decrease inflammation in parts of the body, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, and is now a recommended dietary addition in few medical conditions.
Medicinal value
Ayurveda uses ghee in many of their herbal preparations as medicinal properties of herbs and spices can be absorbed and transported to targeted areas of the body with ghee. So next time fry your whole spices in ghee for preparing your dish.
Pregnancy benefit
A mother's and baby’s increased requirements of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients during pregnancy are fulfilled with regular use of ghee, ensuring healthy growth and development of the infant. It also reduces the chances of birth defects considerably, including disorders of the bones and spinal cord and other complications that might arise from malnutrition.
Some quick fixes with ghee are:
- Applying it on Roti, Naan, Paratha for rich, yummy biting.
- A hot plate of rice, dal and dollop of ghee is the most soothing meal any day.
- Add a little dollop to your cup of soup.
- Boil Arbi (Colocasia) with salt, turmeric and pepper. In a pan add ghee and when it is hot, add mustard seeds, to crackle, once it crackles, add a pinch of chilli powder, salt to taste, curry leaves and add the boiled Arbi. It is delicious.
- You can always add ghee when making your semolina savoury pudding (Rava Upma).
- Ghee is a must in any Indian sweet dishes be it Sheera, Laddoo, Kheer, it simply enhances the flavour of the dish.
All set and done, there is a saying “Too much of anything is bad”. Though ghee sound like an ideal substitute for butter; the fact that it still is made purely of fat, so excessive consumption of ghee can dramatically change your fat intake and can act as a negative dietary choice. Be careful about your intake and study the fat content of the ghee you choose to consume. Also, as a precaution for your own health benefit and medical condition always speak to your medical professional to ensure that your fitness level does not get affected.
Ghee definitely has Indian origin but its benefits have given it a global market and so ghee in the name of clarified butter is available across the globe. Your hunt for this super beneficial ghee is over as we at JustHaat have a varied range and choice of Clarified butter (Ghee) in our stores just for you. What are you waiting for just visit our store JustHaat.com and grab yourself a can of ghee at the best deals available. We promise quick delivery at your doorstep at the most reasonable rates. Wait no further. So get ready to indulge in having some lip smacking dishes using ghee.