Ghee(Hindi)/Toop(Marathi)/Nai(Tamil)
- An essential item in an Indian household. Ghee imparts a nice glaze and makes basic dishes more delicious apart from giving it a nice aroma! As children we used to enjoy steaming hot rice with ghee - 'Nai chaadam' - an appetiser and main course!
In Tamilnadu (South India), ghee is drizzled over rice before mixing it with rasam, sambar or any other gravy. In the North it is spread over roti or paratha to impart it a flavor. Ghee is also said to have many medicinal properties - click here to know more. You do get ghee off the shelves in stores but nothing can beat the taste and smell of homemade ghee!! I like ghee made out of cow butter - It has nice sunny yellow colour which is essentially me!!
Method:
Put the unsalted butter into a heavy bottomed pan and heat on slow fire to thaw the butter if it is just out of the freezer. Increase to medium heat till the butter melts. Turn the gas to sim and wait till the butter boils, froths up and the raw smell is replaced by a nice aroma. Add a few curry leaves or raw rice and turn off the gas if it crackles - This indicates that the ghee is ready.
Strain and store in an airtight container. Use a dry spoon to handle the ghee!
The butter is just melting here:
Ready ghee:
Labels: Beginner's cooking, Colour - Yellow, Cuisine - Indian, Kitchen Basics
