GHEE WITH CREAM OF YOGURT

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HOW TO MAKE GHEE WITH CREAM OF YOGURT
Sailaja shares her method of preparing ghee from homemade butter (called makhan in Hindi and vennapusa in Telugu).

Boil one liter of milk and turn off stove. Once it reaches room temperature, add a tsp of yogurt to the milk, place lid and ferment overnight. Next day, curd forms with a thick layer of cream.

Cream of yogurt or dahi (skin above yogurt) is removed each day and stored in a container and refrigerated (sometimes a little bit of yogurt also comes along with cream while removing the cream off the top of yogurt). At the end of the week, the collected cream of dahi (from cow’s milk) is brought to room temperature and churned using a wooden churner (kavvam) or ladle till the butter separates (churning could take 12-15 mts). Add 3-4 cups of water to this and continue to churn for a minute or two and the residue is a thick buttermilk. Strain the butter milk. Wash the butter (called vennapusa in Telugu) in water at least 4-5 times. This thoroughly washed butter can now be used to prepare ghee.

To prepare ghee, melt the butter in a stainless steel vessel over medium high heat. The butter will begin to melt forming a white froth on top. Now on simmer, stir occasionally and you will find that the froth will begin to thin slowly and the color of butter changing to a pale yellow shade. Continue to cook on low heat until it turns a golden color. The residue solids will settle at the bottom and the ghee which is clear, golden and translucent with a fragrant smell is ready. Filter the ghee which will solidify when completely cool. It can be stored at room temperature for 3 months or even more. Its best to prepare less quantity of ghee and finish it within a few days before preparing the next batch. That would be the best way to experience the real taste of ghee.

Step by step photos of ghee making with cream of yogurt (curd, dahi, perugu):