Ghee Recipe

There is a unique plan or oil in every area that taste of the local food in that area seems to be incomplete without it. “Sari Yagh” (ساری یاغ یا روغن زرد حیوانی) is one of them in Azerbaijan. It is a kind of fat made of unsalted butter with animal origin in that area. Sari Yagh is an Azari name that the word of “Sari” refers to its colour and means yellow and “Yagh” means oil. From there, Azari nomads lived in a mountainous area, and their primary profession is livestock. So they access to the best kind of dairy. They use milk to make many dairy products, such as butter, cheese, whey, yoghurt, ghee and so on. In this article, we are going to talk about ghee. They use butter to produce ghee.

But why they change butter to ghee. Because they can store butter for a shorter time since butter`s properties of water and dough (Torta, the name that they have given to this part of butter (تورتا)) or to put it more simply “the milk solids” make it more decayable. They separate water and Torta of butter and change it to ghee that could be stored for a longer time, maybe for several years. It smells and tastes so intoxicating that you never think. Ghee (Sari Yagh) has an essential role in Azerbaijan`s food recipe. They use in almost every traditional and local foods of themselves such as making Omelette, Dolmen Barg (a kind of food made with leaves of a unique tree), Dolmen Bademjan (a type of stuffed eggplant), Shileh (a sort of local Ash), topping the rice, and so on.

Different types of Ghee:

There are different types of ghee. We can make it by butter made with different kinds of milk such as cow`s milk, sheep`s milk, and buffalo`s milk. We also have Vanaspati ghee that hydrogen is added to the ghee to make it more palatable as well as trans –fats that make it harmful and causing heart diseases. So we will have ghee with different qualities. The quality of Sari Yagh depends on the quality and concentration of the milk that we use to make it.

Some peoples cheat in making milk and mix it with water or other ingredients and reduce its quality and concentration. So using this kind of milk will reduce the quality of our ghee, too. I should advise you to be careful about the ready ghee (about harmful Vanaspati ghee) or the milk you use to make it.

Important Nutrition facts of Ghee:

We can call ghee “liquid gold”. When we make it with high-quality butter, I promise that it is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin D as well as helping to absorb them by the body. A high-quality butter is the one obtained from fresh cow`s milk that has fed from fresh grass.

Also, Butyric acid properties of the ghee help body to digest better. Since the ghee contains the fat-soluble vitamins, so it will provide better functioning of cardiovascular system, brain, and bones. The Linoleic acid in it has a prevention role on some diseases like cancers, Colitis, and Crohn`s disease. Also, it strengthens vision and improves vision. Lastly, it is the best source of energy for the body that has almost 470 kcal per tablespoon.

Vegetarian tips:

A vegetarian or a vegan can easily use ghee in their recipe because milk solids and protein have separated. But we cannot say it for sure. Maybe some parts have remained in it. So it is a choice for them to use it in their dishes or not.

Serving style of Ghee:

We use the ghee as an ingredient in cooking various dishes such as Omelette, Dolmen Barg (a kind of food made with leaves of a particular tree), Dolmen Bademjan (a type of stuffed eggplant), Shileh (a sort of local Ash), topping the rice, and so on. Also, we can use it for making stir-fries since it has a high smoke point. It would be perfect on roasted vegetable and in egg, or on baked sweet potato. Having a saucepan of ghee on the table is a good idea for those who love their meal a bit more fatty.

What ate ingredients of Ghee?

The only ingredient you need is unsalted butter. Also, it would help if you had some special equipment such as a saucepan with a heavy bottom, a large spoon to stir, and a fine sieve that layers of cheesecloth line on it.

How to make ghee?

Since ghee is very expensive to buy, but simple to make. So it is very economical to make it yourself. At first, you can cut the butter into pieces and put them in the saucepan. Then you should put the pan on the medium flame and let it melts completely. After that, you should turn down the flame and allow it to simmer. When it reaches simmer point and starts boiling you shouldn’t leave it and keep stirring it gently because if you leave the melted butter to cook, it will overflow surly.

You have to let it boil until the milk solids (Torta) separate, and it turns to golden colour. Now you can turn off the flam. It would be best if you put it aside until it cools down. After cooling down, you should pass it from the filter. In the end, you can pour it in a container preferably made of glass or steel. It is ready to use.

Recipe:

Since we can find qualified ghee once a year, so we make a large amount of ghee once a year from June to September (خرداد تا شهریور). The preparation time of ghee is 10 minutes, and its cooking time is 30 minutes.