You must be familiar with ghee, the Indian kind of clarified butter if you've spent any time making Indian food or shopping at Indian grocers and marketplaces. Ghee is butter that has been long boiled until the milk solids have separated, then filtered, similar to clarified butter.
It's nutty and fragrant, and because it has a
significantly higher smoke point than ordinary butter, it's utilised in cooking
and baking. Ghee is typically cultured or flavoured, unlike clarified butter.
Ghee, which is traditionally prepared with raw milk, is regarded sacred in
India (see: cows) and beneficial in some Ayurvedic remedies.
So, how do you use ghee? If you're not familiar
with Indian cuisine, you might not recognise it right away. You may use it in
the same way you would clarify butter, which is great for sautéing and baking.
It can also be used to brush flatbreads. Use it in one of these recipes
instead.
1. Rabri
A dish created in the Indian tradition by frying
cashews and pistachios in ghee and then adding them to flavoured milk.
2. Carrot Pudding
This dessert, also known as gajar ka halwa, is
cooked by boiling shredded carrots in milk and ghee before adding nuts and
spices.
3. Yellow Lentil Curry
This kind of arhar ki dal is easy to make,
affordable, and filling. Cook lentils, then fry onions with cumin and chiles in
ghee, then add to lentils – aromatic, colourful, and ridiculously simple.
4. Spicy Steamed Potatoes
Spices are fried in ghee, then added to onions
and boiled potatoes, then topped with a spicy yoghurt concoction. Ta-da.
Let’s prepare one of these dishes. Here we go
with Spicy Steamed Potatoes:
INGREDIENTS:
Small boiling potatoes – 1 Pound
Roughly chopped 1 small onion
Chopped garlic - 1 teaspoon
Grated ginger root - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice- 1 tablespoon
Water - 3 tablespoons
Salt (according to taste)
Nova Desi Ghee - 1 tablespoon
1 small cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 whole cloves
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Ground turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped cilantro - 2 tablespoons, or 2 small
chiles, seeded and sliced
LET’S GET STARTED:
1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan
with enough water to cover them and bring to a boil, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain.
Using a sharp spear, gently prick the potatoes.
2. In a blender, put the onion, garlic,
ginger, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, and 1 teaspoon salt.
3. In a saucepan, melt the Nova Desi Ghee and sauté the
cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
Stir in the turmeric, then add the blended mixture and sauté, stirring
constantly, for approximately 1 minute, or until the onion no longer smells
raw. 2 tablespoons water to rinse the blender, then add to the pan with the
potatoes and mix well. Cover firmly, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 20
to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
4. In a dry pan over medium-high heat,
toast the cumin seeds, turning constantly, until dark brown, then pound until
coarsely smashed. Combine the yoghurt, cumin, garam masala, and a pinch of salt
in a mixing bowl. Serve the potatoes with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling
of cilantro or chilies on top.
