Golden ghee

Ghee, a type of clarified butter that’s synonymous with Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, is an artisanal kitchen favourite thanks to its versatility in dishes, delicious taste and added health benefits

- Ally McManus

Highly lauded as an ancient superfood, ghee is most commonly used today as a cooking oil and ingredient in recipes as well as being a mainstay in traditional Ayurvedic (Hindu system of alternative medicine) treatments. But what sets this clarified butter apart from other forms of fat is its many uses in the kitchen as a form of nourishment for the body.

A golden elixir

Just like regular butter, ghee is often made from cow’s milk. The butter is then melted until the liquid fats and milk solids separate from each other. The liquid fats are then kept, which results in a product that has less lactose than butter, making it suitable for those with lactose sensitivity.

“Ghee is made by slow-cooking and filtering butter to remove all milk solids and lactose from it, which are known to cause digestive sensitivities,” confirms Divya Raghunath, an artisanal ghee maker and owner of Melbourne-based Puresoul Ghee. “Good-quality ghee is dairy-free and easily assimilated by the most sensitive of tummies,” assures Raghunath.

Pierre “Pepe” Issa, who owns Sydney cultured butter company Pepe Saya with his wife, Melissa “Mrs Pepe”, further explains the process of making ghee. “Ghee is a clarified butter with the extra step of caramelising the milk solids by simmering for an additional four hours in the melted butter. Technically we are fractioning the oil. This gives a nutty flavour to the milk oil remaining,” says Saya.