Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Shuddh Videshi Ghee ar Alu Sheddo


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I made Ghee, at home, with my own hands. No I didn't milk the cow or anything and I used a shortcut, but if we put that aside, I made Ghee in bold letters.

With that I graduate from a regular Mom to the ubiquitous Aunty-ji. Pleez do consult me with all your gharelu(household) problems including mom-in-law , husband , bai and water shortage, and of course how to make ghee. That I can't make decent phulkas shall not be discussed in this post.

So I never made ghee @ home before. Never needed to. My ma and ma-in-law took it upon themselves to send home made shuddh desi ghee for Big Sis S till she turned 3. After that it was store bought which was used sparingly since we are not big time ghee eaters. Now Baby A has started on solids and it was time to introduce fat to her. There was no grandma around and Mom found out that making shuddh videshi ghee was not difficult at all, much easier than the cow's milk --> boil milk to gather the cream on top --> save the top cream from milk for days --> make desi ghee route


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So this is what Baby A's Mom did to make glorious golden ghee


Read more...







Making Ghee



In a heavy bottomed pot/vessel/pan place 4 sticks of organic unsalted butter. At medium heat let the butter melt. There will be foaming and bubbling while the butter melts but soon this will subside. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered. Stir intermittently. Gradually you will see milk-solids turning from beige to brown and settling down at the bottom while a clear transparent golden liquid remains at top. Once the milk solids turn a deep shade of brown turn off the heat. Note: The point at which you turn off the heat is critical, too little or too much is not desired. Keep watch and don't burn the milk-solid. Also keep the heat at low and don't try to hasten the process by turning heat to high.

Do not disturb the vessel/pot/pan and let the milk solids settle down at the bottom while only the clear liquid remains at the top.

Decant the liquid by tipping the vessel gently and collecting the liquid in a clean dry glass jar. You can also use a cheese cloth or any clean cotton cloth for this purpose

The golden liquid that you just collected is precious ghee. Smell. Heaven.

Let the ghee come to room temperature. Close the jar tight and store at room temperature. If ghee is not made correctly i.e. cooked too little it tends to spoil or sour, but if made correctly it stores well at room temperature



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Now we Bengalis do not throw away anything that is edible and the deep brown milk solids that remain at the end of the ghee making process are a delicacy for us. We call it cha(n)chi (ch as in chair and then a nasal sound for n) and eat it mixed with plain white rice, salt and mashed potatoes. Strangely while I do remember the smell of ghee from my childhood, more than the ghee I remember this rich brown "leftover" granules which we used to savor mixed with white rice.

So while the home was fragrant with the smell of ghee we enjoyed a rare dinner of rice, alu sheddo with finely chopped onions and green chillies and dollops of ghee & cha(n)chi.

To make alu sheddo(siddho), boil potatoes skin on till done. Hold under running water and peel the potato. Mash with back of a spatula. Add little mustard oil, finely chopped red onion, finely chopped green chilli and salt. Now with clean hands work all of this in the potato and make smooth rounds of mashed potato. Enjoy this with white rice and dollops of golden ghee.


According to Ayurveda, Ghee builds the aura, makes all the organs soft, builds up the internal juices of the body-Rasa, which are destroyed by aging and increases the most refined element of digestion-Shukra or Ojas, the underlying basis of all immunity and the “essence of all bodily tissues”. Ghee is known to increase intelligence--Dhi, refine the intellect-Buddhi and improve the memory-Smrti.

A little bit of ghee added to your food boosts the flavor and if that ghee is home made the taste triples. So like me if you do not use ghee as a cooking medium, occasionally add half a tsp of ghee just before finishing off your cooking and savor the goodness of ghee.

41 comments:

  1. Home madeghee is just full of ayurvedic values... I am a person who can never stand too much hot climate, i start boiling instantly... I was fed my grandmas ghee everyday!!! Oh how much I miss those homemade stuff...

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  2. my grandmom used to smear the leftover brown stuff on dosas for me. I loved it, though looking back, I was a very plump kid :D

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  3. You make it sound so easy! Of course I hated that big lump of cream ... that only got bigger ... sitting in the fridge that my ma collected to make ghee.
    Ahh ... chanchi diye gorom bhaat! :-)

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  4. I make at home too, the brown residue is always smear over idli or my granny end up making dhal laddus!

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  5. ummmm,..yummy,..can smell the fragrance of ghee,..;-)

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  6. I love home made ghee..love the smell of it over dosa and khichdi :) my mom makes ghee at home using malai from milk..

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  7. I have neve rmade ghee at home eventhough my sis always say it is so easy to make and she tells me in the phone how tomake and i am like ya ya , but never do.
    May i have a botled from you.
    I can always be your big sis :-)

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  8. The sediment is a much coveted delicacy in our parts too

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  9. Tomar title pore amar shokal 6 tar shomoye hnashi thamate parchina:-D

    The gold looks lovely! I don't remember when i last bought ghee... costco theke butter ene barite ghee kori.. ar gorom bhaat diye kurkure chanchi..one of our relatives would make gur diye naru with these chanchis!! khete bhesh bhalo hoye.. kintu kheye ki je hobe, shei bhebhe ar bhoye try kori ...

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  10. Here I was thinking you were collecting the cream from yogurt to make the ghee.

    It looks beautiful. Have never tried the store bought one, home made seemed so easy ;)

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  11. Ramya

    The ghee helps to cool ? That is great

    Nags
    :D me too

    Sharmila

    It IS easy

    Cham, Soma, Indo

    You all are acclaimed Auntyji-s then ;-). *Hiding face in shame * because I did not make ghee at home earlier

    Notyet
    thanks

    Parita
    Yeah the malai one is great

    HC

    Yeah sure and then you can make all those delish desserts for me

    Sra

    Really ? I though only we ate it

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  12. Welcome to the Aunty-ji's club.

    I take an even easier route. ;) I buy the cultured butter from stores to make ghee. :) hehee...

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  13. I need to join the aunt-ji bandwagon to make ghee at home! :-O
    *thinking, hmmmm....* sure, take me in. totally worth it methinks!

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  14. When I first made ghee post marriage, I felt I had arrived. It gave me the confidence of being a good homemaker and a good mother! I love it when my kitchen fills up with the aroma of ghee-in-the-making. Lovely blog you have here--keep up the good work!

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  15. Hi Sandeepa,
    Boishakhi here,was just searching the web for some bengali recipes n happend to find your blog.liked yor stuff a lot,so thought of saying,nice effort,kip up the gd wrk,we r all with u.by the way,ever had bati-chochori?a very simple n comforting basic recipe,cooking time10 minutes flat!
    What u need---
    Potatoes--4medium sized
    cauliflower(optional)
    Peas(optional)
    Tomatoes--2big sized
    Coriander leaves(optional)
    Green chillies-4
    Masala----
    Salt,A lil sugar,haldi powder,mirchi powder,2tbsp of mustard oil.
    preparation----
    Heat water in a pan,slice the potatoes into juliennes,cut the cauliflower into pieces,wash both the potatoes n the cauliflower pieces n add them to the boilling water,add the peas.Now add salt to taste,a pinch of sugar,the haldi powder n the mirchi powder,now slit the green chillies n add them too.Cook till the potato is cooked then add the tomatoes.Once the tomatoes are cooked,put raw mustard oil on the curry.Put the gas off,add the corriander leaves,n cover till you r ready to serve.
    A very healthy,easy,comforting,less time consuming preparation.Can be eaten with rice n chappatis,even paratha n puri.Can b used as a soup too!

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  16. Lovely pics...my mom use to make ghee at home :)..

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  17. You made ghee by yourself - yaay!! Definitely graduated to aunty-ji now, San ;)
    We had the leftover brown stuff ('ghasi' I think it was called) with hot rice and salt. So good!

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  18. wow - your own ghee. i'm impressed.

    Like you, I try not to use too much of it, but like it in tadkas. You've encouraged me to consider making my own.

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  19. Own ghee! Don't tempt me like this!!!

    And hte leftovers :D - we add maida and sugar to it and roasted it until we figured it was time to eat it :D

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  20. Hi Sandeepa,
    The title got me into splits ....lol hmmm.. ghee and I have hello, hi-bye relation from quite sometime :) I avoid it almost completely in daily cooking n stuff....the only bottle of store brought ghee is used for bhagvan ka diya :) hmmmm...interesting to read how the residue is used up....I will have a detailed discussion on this with S :)and make him nostalgic.
    S taught me to make aloo bhate/chokha :) this used to be a frequent dish those days when I was an L board in cooking ;) great nostalgia sandeepa.
    Was reading shaggy's comment and got double nostalgic...coz that dish also was tutored to me by S :) it tastes amazing though.
    Thanks for the videshi ghee making techqnique, for me to make it here...I'll have to fly to US to buy butter...fly back home and make it right :)? Videshi ghee!!! kidding;) love desi ghee for it's purity. Nice post as always.
    Enjoy the week ahead.Happy ghee feeding to ur little one :)
    TC

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  21. Homemade ghee, the auroma and the leftover milk solids all are heaven to me. I love it eat ghee plain, mixed with sugar or with sambar, tamarind kolumbu and what not ? This ghee looks eally glorious and golden and lucky little S :) We used to mix ragi flour in the kadai having the leftovers when its still hot (but stove switched off) and little sugar and fry for a minute and make into balls. Those were after treats after making ghee during childhood days! Lovely post Sandeepa!

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  22. your post reminded me of hot alu, dim, dhoerosh sheddo fyana bhat with a hot pat of butter

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  23. I too have attained the 'auntyji' status quite a while ago :-)

    Hope the li'l ones are doing well :-)

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  24. Wish i'd read this before - i was actually trying to do it my grandmoms way - kind of painful. Will try it this way :)

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  25. Wish i'd read this before - i was actually trying to do it my grandmoms way - kind of painful. Will try it this way :)

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  26. Kay

    Why is it easier ? It definitely would taste better though

    Priya
    Really you want to be one , come on then :)

    Saee
    I guess *I arrived* pretty late :D

    Shaggy

    We do make a bati-chorchori and I love it but it is only with potatoes and green chilli & m. oil. Will try this one too. Thanks

    Priti
    Thanks

    Vani
    yehhhhh for me :) That jar is going to last real long

    Maninas
    I use ghee rarely too but add it to the baby's khichdi every day

    A&N and Nirmala

    I should have known this before :(

    Suparna

    Yeah we do not eat ghee either but sometimes I will add to the dish at the end, mainly it is for the little one. But my dad is a big proponent of goodness of Ghee

    Knife
    Yehhhhhhh right !!

    Sunita,
    Ok aunty-ji :D

    Ricercar
    This was super easy

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  27. are you having trouble with phulka? not sure exactly which one is called phulka, but i always had trouble with ruti, especially making it swell up like I'd seen it do elsewhere, but have managed it now. i use stone ground flour and lots of water and roast them on the frying pan. When they're almost cooked I put them on the gas for a bit like papor and the balloon!

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  28. Ricercar

    Yes ruti, I just don't like making it because it takes me a whole lot of time. You know I have a N. Indian friend and rolling out phulkas/roti for her is as easy as making say alu seddho.
    For me it is not that simple. Anyway I have got someone taking care of that and only D has roti anyway, I get done with bhaat and tortilla

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  29. absolutely right - bhaat is so much easier!

    cant remember if I did leave a comment about this or just thought about it in my head, but i was wondering if you would do one of your cool and easy versions of the traditional shorshe ilish recipe? i tried making it (andaj-e) with mustard powder, green chilli and salmon, but it just come out bitter!

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  30. Haven't done shorshe for while now. Use my bottle of kasundi to bake salmon on busy days.
    But I have a recipe here where ilish is with doi & shorshe while the other one is a shorshe fish the Oriya way. The oriya way has garlic with mustard and that would be good with salmon.
    Try them
    http://www.bongcookbook.com/2007/08/doi-ilish-and-machha-besara.html

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  31. OH nice! That milk solid state is a little tricky though, I have inevitably burnt them everytime I make it. I guess I need more practice.
    Lovely golden color on the ghee.

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  32. So we are aunty? Tell me what else if we make we would be graduated to granny... Haha I didn't post ghee, thank GOD 4 the interpretation!

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  33. Cham

    With your gravatar, the profile pic, you are one Hot Aunty, if you are one :D I was just kidding about the "Auntyji" thing though.
    I have been one for long though and even have comments where readers call me Aunty :)

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  34. I have always enjoyed visiting your blog but never left a comment before. The next time you make ghee add a few fenugreek seeds when the milk solids are a light brown, the aroma it releases is awesome.

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  35. Thanks Anon, shall remember that

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  36. Crap!!! :( I thought you collected the cream every day and made your ghee. I get it... (telling myself:: Don't speed read blog posts!) sorry abt that.

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  37. Sandeepa,

    I am trying to make ghee with this way today following your instructions :)...back home I am habitual of collecting dudh'er shor for over a time and then making ghee out it, kinto eyikhane ki kori , tai tumaar way te try korlaam.used 250 gms of salted butter and some sticks of cinnamon for a nice aroma..thank you for sharing
    hugs and smiles

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  38. Ghee, alu bhatay, deem sheddo and bhaat is my all time favorite. I mean I can kill for it! Of course I also bite off the tips of kancha lonka.

    I have never tried making ghee at home, but when I was in Bangalore, I remember Lakshmi Amma adding a pinch of turmeric powder to get that golden color in the ghee. It always looked so beautiful on a sunny kitchen window!

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  39. Great!


    Desi Ghee, Desi Ghee Manufacturers, Ghee Manufacturers India, Ghee Supplier, Ghee Industry, Desi Ghee Exporters


    http://www.indiandairy.co.in/desighee.html

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  40. Hi just tried it this evening and I think the heat was too high. I managed to do it but the ghee is a bit dark but smells nice and nutty like brown butter!

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    Replies
    1. I think the point at which you switched off the heat was where it went a bit wrong. If you do it too late, the milk solids burn and if too early then the ghee is not formed well. But you will learn and the first time is always a experience from where you learn something :-)

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