Ghee

clarified butter

Butter, clarified into something older and more patient.

What it is

Ghee is butter taken a step further: simmered until the water cooks off and the milk solids sink and brown, then strained away, leaving a clear golden fat with a nutty, toasted aroma. Because the solids are gone it has a high smoke point and keeps for months without refrigeration.

Where it comes from

Ghee is made and used across the whole subcontinent and has been for millennia, with a place in ritual as well as the kitchen. It is the prestige cooking fat of the Mughal Corridor’s rich tradition, and a daily one across the map.

What it's called

Ghee · clarified butter. Bengali ghee and the more slowly-cooked “brown butter” styles differ in how far the solids are toasted.

In the kitchen

Used for frying, for finishing dals and rice, for the richness of Mughal gravies and sweets, and drizzled over a finished plate for aroma. Its high smoke point suits high-heat cooking; a spoonful stirred in at the end is pure perfume.

What we know about the claims

Because the milk solids are removed, ghee is nearly free of lactose and casein, which is why some who avoid butter tolerate it — but it is still concentrated fat, and moderation is the honest rule. The old “superfood” claims outrun the evidence; enjoy it as the rich, flavourful fat it is.

Choosing and buying

Sold in jars in every supermarket and South Asian grocer (UK and US), or made at home from unsalted butter in twenty minutes. Choose a fragrant, well-browned ghee.