Ghee and clarified butter: the difference, the Polish name and how to use them

Ghee is the Indian form of clarified butter: butterfat with the water and milk solids removed. The difference lies in the cooking time. Plain clarified butter comes off the heat as soon as the water and the solids separate. Ghee cooks longer, until the solids brown lightly, so it is golden and smells nutty and of caramel. In Polish, clarified butter is masło klarowane, and many jars in Poland say "masło klarowane ghee".

Ghee in a Polish shop

Polish supermarkets sell masło klarowane in jars and tubs, usually near the butter or the oils. It is mild and pale, close to European clarified butter. Indian brands of ghee are sold in Indian shops and are labelled ghee, butter ghee, pure ghee, cow ghee (from cow's milk) or desi ghee (ghee made in the traditional way). Either works for frying. For the nutty taste of Indian dishes, choose a jar labelled ghee.

How clarified butter and ghee are made

Butter is made of fat, water and a small amount of milk proteins and sugars. To clarify it, the butter is melted over a low heat. The water evaporates, foam gathers on the surface and the proteins sink to the bottom.

• Clarified butter in European cooking: the foam is skimmed off and the clear fat is poured off the sediment as soon as it separates. The taste stays mild and buttery, the colour pale yellow.
• Ghee: the butter keeps cooking until the sediment on the bottom turns light brown and the fat becomes clear and golden. Then the ghee is strained through muslin. The browned solids give it the smell of toasted nuts and caramel.

In practice the two products are very close, and many packs carry both names.

Ghee and vanaspati

On the Indian shelf you will also see vanaspati, sometimes called "vegetable ghee". This is hydrogenated vegetable fat, not a butter product. It has a different taste and different ingredients. If a recipe asks for ghee, check on the label that the product is made from butter or milk fat.

How to use ghee

Ghee takes high heat better than ordinary butter, because it has no milk proteins to burn. That is why Indian cooks use it for frying and for tadka.

• Tadka for dal: heat a spoonful of ghee, add cumin seeds, garlic and dried chilli, then pour it over the finished dal.
• Rice: a teaspoon of ghee in basmati rice or biryani gives a buttery smell.
• Roti and chapati: brush hot flatbreads with a thin layer of ghee.
• Sweets: ghee is the base of halwa, laddoo, Mysore pak and sooji halwa.
• Everyday European cooking: clarified butter and ghee are good for frying cutlets, eggs and pancakes.

How to make ghee at home

1. Put 250 g of unsalted butter in a heavy-based pan.
2. Heat it over a low flame. The butter melts, foams and bubbles.
3. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes without a lid. Skim off the foam gently from time to time.
4. Watch the bottom. When the sediment turns light brown and the bubbling dies down, take the pan off the heat. Do not let the sediment turn black, or the ghee will taste bitter.
5. Strain the ghee through muslin or a fine sieve into a dry, clean jar.

How to store ghee

Keep ghee in a closed jar. Many producers allow it to be stored at room temperature, away from light. The label gives the use-by date and storage conditions. Use a dry spoon: water and bits of food shorten its life. In the cold, ghee sets hard and grainy. This is normal and does not mean it has gone off.

Where to buy ghee and clarified butter

Little India sells, among others, pure butter ghee 500 g, Amul ghee and TRS pure butter ghee 1 kg. All types are in the butter category. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders from the online shop.