Fat is a foodie issue
Brunch|January 21, 2023
Science now tells us that all the old warnings about dairy fat were overstated. Start enjoying butter and ghee!
VIR SANGHVI
Fat is a foodie issue

Each time I go to Kolkata, I bring back some Gobindobhog rice. Gobindobhog is among the most celebrated rice varieties of Bengal, loved by people who know how to enjoy their rice.

My wife cooks the Gobindobhog at home with lots of ghee, adding the ghee just as the water starts boiling. And sometimes I add a little more ghee myself when she serves the rice. It is so delicious that you really don't need to add very much more. (Bongs make Khichdi with Gobhindobhog which is also delicious but I like the flavour of the rice without too many spices.)

Would I enjoy the Gobindobhog without the ghee? Possibly. Do I enjoy it much more with the ghee added? Absolutely: you bet!

So, it is with butter and other varieties of rice. When I was a child I saw them add butter to rice in Iran and fell in love with the combination of butter and rice. Even now, the best basmati is described as having a buttery aroma. Lots of the hybrid basmati that we get these days (as distinct from the traditional strain) does not have much of the buttery aroma, so, I add a little butter to make the rice come alive.

The truth is that dairy fat improves nearly everything. Put a little butter on a hot kulcha and suddenly the flavour of the kulcha will soar into another dimension. I find that the best partner for an idli is podi mixed with liquid ghee. (There are competing claims made for coconut oil or gingelly oil but I am a ghee guy.)

It is not just Indians who recognise the power of dairy fat. The French have founded an entire cuisine on it. Fernand Point, the mentor to the chefs who created nouvelle cuisine, once said "Butter, butter, give me butter, always butter."  And before that, there's the famous remark often attributed to Auguste Escoffier, the greatest French chef of the 20th Century, "The three great secrets of French cuisine are butter, butter and butter." 

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 21, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 21, 2023 من Brunch.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BRUNCH مشاهدة الكل
Avantika Dassani
Brunch

Avantika Dassani

Actor, @AvantikaDassani

time-read
1 min  |
November 23, 2024
Keep your i on this BMW
Brunch

Keep your i on this BMW

The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Brunch

Why adapt when you can evolve?

Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Sharp edges, blunt words
Brunch

Sharp edges, blunt words

British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already

time-read
3 mins  |
November 23, 2024
The suitable boy
Brunch

The suitable boy

He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here

time-read
4 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Brunch

Stay stylish in your cubicle

Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Fit check? Look behind you
Brunch

Fit check? Look behind you

In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Hey, I found you online
Brunch

Hey, I found you online

Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint

time-read
3 mins  |
November 23, 2024
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Brunch

Is It Scrolling Or Screening?

Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present

time-read
2 mins  |
November 16, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Preferring the spinoff.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 16, 2024