Ghee, also known as ghrita, is an excellent substitute for butter. A staple in Indian and Pakistani cooking for millennia, it’s a type of clarified butter where the concentrated fat in water and milk solids has been removed. Containing no milk products, ghee can be kept at room temperature for quite a long time. In fact, refrigerating it is not recommended, as it becomes a solid when cold. Recently ghee has become more popular in other countries as more people appreciate its benefits.
- Ghee is free of milk sugar lactose and milk protein casein. These often cause problems for individuals who are allergic or otherwise sensitive to dairy.
- Ghee can handle much higher temperatures than butter and has a higher smoke point: Ghee’s smoke point is 485F/250C, while butter’s is 350F/175C. Ghee also produces much less of a toxic compound called acrylamide than heating vegetable and seed oils.
- Butyric acid is a component of ghee, which is linked to lower levels of inflammation and better digestive health.
- Ghee contains Vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health, good skin, and an optimum immune system.
- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, ghee can help protect against heart disease.
Ways to use ghee
Ghee is one of the safest cooking oils, along with coconut oil and butter. Due to its high smoke point, ghee doesn’t create carcinogenic free radicals when heated to a high temperature, making it an excellent choice for cooking.
You can also try:
- Replacing butter with ghee on your toast.
- Adding a little ghee on your hot cereal.
- Using ghee instead of butter on your cooked vegetables and starches (rice, potatoes, etc.).
- Skipping the creamer and try it in your coffee.
Photo credit: "GHEE" by foto_graffiti is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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Resources
Spritzler, Franziska. Medically reviewed by Chin, Kim, RD Nutrition. "Ghee: Healthier Than Butter?" Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ghee#Benefits-of-ghee. Updated 2/14/23. Accessed 4/6/23.
Casperson, Erin. "Ayurveda and the Golden Goodness of Ghee." Kripalu. https://kripalu.org/resources/ayurveda-and-golden-goodness-ghee. Accessed 4/6/23.