This South Asian staple has a long history and can make any dish richer and more delicious.
When I was growing up, the scent of butter simmering signaled that something special was happening. Making ghee was not simply a process: It was a ritual, a rhythm of daily life.
It began with fresh, full-fat milk, usually from the family’s cow or buffalo — gently boiled, cooled and cultured with homemade yogurt. This would then be hand-churned, yielding white butter (makhan), which my grandmother would melt over a low flame, releasing its rich, nutty aroma and separating the butter into two parts.
When the bubbling quieted, that golden, nutty liquid was ready to be strained and cooled, to be kneaded into dough, drizzled into dals, dabbed onto rotis and sweet dishes.
Long before ghee, a form of clarified butter once confined to South Asian kitchens and Ayurvedic texts, was used as a lip balm, hailed as a superfood, featured in keto, paleo and Whole 30 diets, and found on the shelves of trendy grocery stores like Erewhon, it was a feature of rituals, festivals and celebrations, and a daily symbol of care and nourishment.
The chef and restaurateur Vikas Khanna, who owns Bungalow in the East Village, describes ghee as “a liquid memory” and “a warm hug.”
But beyond its deep importance to South Asia, ghee is an everyday cooking staple, adding depth to all manner of dishes.
Noor Murad, the chef and author of “Lugma” who contributes recipes to New York Times Cooking, pointed to ghee’s use in many Arab-speaking countries. Known as samneh, it shows up in dishes both savory and sweet, like harees, a porridge-like mixture of meat and beaten wheat, and rangina, a dessert of fresh dates (rotab) topped with toasted flour and ghee.
Farzanah Nasser, a London-based nutritionist, likes ghee’s versatility. With its high smoking point, it can work for many types of cooking. She adds it to rice and khichdi, and uses it to cook bananas to top her oatmeal.
You, too, can incorporate ghee into your cooking — if you’re not doing so already — with a few tips.
Know What to Buy
Note that, as with many ingredients, the quality can vary across types of ghee, depending on how it is processed and the kind of milk used. Buffalo milk ghee is richer, with a thicker texture and a deeper flavor, while lighter cow’s milk ghee has a golden-yellow hue and its own delicate aroma.
When shopping for ghee, try to seek out ones made using traditional methods, often labeled bilona ghee, which calls for quality milk to be curdled, then churned with a bilona (a wooden churner) and separated into butter before being heated to create ghee. Or look for brands that specify small-batches or grass-fed sources.
Ghee Dos and Don’ts
As with any ingredient, it’s vital to understand how to use it to its full potential. Whether you are a seasoned home cook or an intrigued newcomer, these rules will help you make the most of this versatile fat.
Do use ghee for high-heat cooking: It burns more slowly than butter.
Don’t assume that it is healthy in all senses: Ghee is still a fat and best used mindfully.
Do experiment: Try ghee to cook spices, to bake or as a topping for popcorn, for example.
Don’t refrigerate unnecessarily: Ghee stores well for months at room temperature, in an airtight container. If stored in the fridge, it will solidify and need to be brought to room temperature before using.
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