Authentic and Easy Homemade Ghee

If you have a block of butter and a saucepan, you are already most of the way to making homemade ghee. Ghee is made by gently cooking butter until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate from the golden fat. What you are left with is a clear cooking fat with a rich, nutty aroma that works beautifully in curries, rice dishes, dals, eggs and roasted vegetables.
It is also wonderfully straightforward to make.

The only thing you need is a little patience, because the difference between beautifully fragrant ghee and butter that has gone too far comes down to watching the pan towards the end. This recipe uses 1 kg of unsalted butter and makes approximately 800 g of ghee, depending on the butter you use.

Recipe Snapshot

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: Approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the pan and heat
• Total time: Approximately 35-50 minutes
• Yield: Approximately 800 g
• Difficulty: Easy
• Dietary: Vegetarian
• Main ingredient: Unsalted butter

Cooking times are estimates. Use the visual signs in the method to determine when your ghee is ready.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• One ingredient: All you need is unsalted butter.
• Useful for everyday cooking: Use it to fry spices, cook rice, sauté vegetables or roast meat.
• Easy to make in a batch: Prepare a larger quantity and portion it into clean jars.
• A lovely nutty flavour: Cooking the butter develops a deeper aroma than ordinary melted butter.

What Is Ghee?

Ghee is a type of clarified butter traditionally used across South Asia and in many other food traditions. Butter is heated until its water content evaporates and the milk solids separate from the fat. The clear fat is then strained to remove the solids.

Unlike ordinary clarified butter, which is often removed from the heat as soon as the milk solids separate, ghee is commonly cooked a little longer to develop its characteristic nutty aroma. The exact colour and flavour depend on how far the milk solids are allowed to cook.

Ghee is widely used in everyday cooking, festive dishes and traditional food preparations. It is particularly useful when you want the richness of butter in a cooking fat that can withstand higher cooking temperatures than whole butter.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter

You will need 1 kg of unsalted butter.

Unsalted butter gives you better control over the flavour, and using butter without added salt makes the finished ghee more versatile. You can use standard supermarket butter; there is no need to buy anything specially labelled for ghee.

The butter will reduce in weight as the water evaporates and the milk solids are removed. This is why 1 kg of butter produces approximately 800 g of ghee rather than a full kilogram.

How to Make Ghee

1. Cut and melt the butter

Cut the butter into evenly sized cubes and place them in a medium to large, heavy-based saucepan.

Set the pan over a low to medium-low heat and allow the butter to melt gradually. Avoid turning the heat up too quickly, as the butter around the edges can begin to sputter before the rest has melted.

2. Bring the butter to a gentle simmer

Once the butter has melted completely, increase the heat slightly until it begins to simmer.

You will notice small white droplets forming in the golden liquid. These are the milk solids beginning to separate from the butterfat.

The mixture will foam and bubble as the water evaporates. This is normal.

3. Allow the milk solids to separate

Continue cooking at a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally with a heatproof spoon, paying attention to the bottom of the pan so that the milk solids do not stick and burn.

As the butter cooks, the bubbling will gradually become less vigorous. The milk solids will collect towards the bottom, while the butterfat above them becomes clearer.

Do not rush this stage by turning the heat up high. Gentle, steady cooking gives you more control, especially towards the end.

4. Check that the ghee is ready

This is the stage to watch most carefully.

The butterfat should look clear and translucent rather than cloudy. The milk solids should have settled at the bottom of the pan and may take on a pale golden colour. The bubbling should have largely subsided as the moisture evaporates.

Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the fat is clear and the solids have separated. If you want a more pronounced nutty flavour, the solids can develop a little more colour, but take care not to let them turn dark brown or burn.

Remember that the pan retains heat, so the cooking will continue slightly after you remove it from the hob.

5. Strain the ghee

Let the ghee settle briefly, then carefully pour the clear fat through a fine muslin cloth into a clean, completely dry, heatproof container.

The cloth will catch the milk solids, leaving you with clear, golden ghee.

Take care when handling the hot fat, and avoid pouring it into a cold container that could crack from the sudden temperature change.

6. Cool and store

Allow the ghee to cool before sealing the jar.

Use a clean, completely dry, airtight container and keep water away from the ghee. Store it in the fridge for the most reliable storage, particularly if you are unsure whether all the moisture has evaporated.

Tips for Making the Best Ghee

Use a heavy-based pan. This distributes the heat more evenly and reduces the risk of the milk solids scorching on the bottom.

Keep the heat moderate. Ghee can go from perfectly cooked to burnt surprisingly quickly towards the end.

Watch the bubbling. The bubbles are caused by moisture evaporating. As the moisture decreases, the bubbling will subside.

Look at the fat, not just the clock. Cooking times vary depending on the pan, hob and butter. Clear fat and separated solids are more reliable indicators than a fixed time.

Strain carefully. A fine muslin cloth helps remove the milk solids. Avoid disturbing the sediment at the bottom when pouring.

Keep everything dry. Moisture and food particles can affect the quality and storage life of homemade ghee.

What Can You Do With the Milk Solids?

You can discard the milk solids or reserve them for another use if they have not burnt. They have a concentrated buttery flavour and may be incorporated into suitable dishes.

Transfer reserved solids to a clean container, refrigerate promptly and use them soon. They are not the same as shelf-stable ghee.

How to Store Homemade Ghee

Store your ghee in a clean, airtight jar. Keep it away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture, and always use a dry spoon.

Refrigeration is the more cautious option for homemade ghee, particularly when you cannot verify that every trace of moisture has been removed. Although properly prepared ghee is often kept at room temperature, the shelf life depends on the preparation, cleanliness and storage conditions. Avoid promising a fixed six-month shelf life for every homemade batch.

Discard ghee if it develops an unpleasant rancid smell or other signs of spoilage.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much ghee does 1 kg of butter make?

You can expect approximately 800 g of ghee from 1 kg of butter. The exact yield depends on the butter's water and milk-solid content and how much is lost during straining.

How do I know when ghee is ready?

The butterfat should be clear and translucent, the milk solids should have settled at the bottom, and the vigorous bubbling should have largely subsided. Remove the pan from the heat before the solids burn.

Why is my ghee cloudy?

Cloudiness can occur if the ghee has not fully settled, if some milk solids remain, or if moisture is present. Allow it to settle and strain it carefully. If you suspect moisture remains, refrigerate it.

Can I make ghee with salted butter?

Yes, but unsalted butter is preferable because it gives you greater control over the finished flavour. Salted butter can also produce a different-tasting result.

Is ghee the same as clarified butter?

They are closely related. Both are made by separating the milk solids and water from butter. Ghee is generally cooked for longer to develop its characteristic nutty flavour. It is left with a higher smoke point than butter, meaning that it can be heated to a higher temperature before it starts to smoke.

Does homemade ghee need to be refrigerated?

Refrigeration is the more cautious option for homemade ghee, especially if you are uncertain about moisture removal or storage hygiene. Room-temperature storage depends on proper preparation and storage conditions.

Why is my ghee so brown?

Yamuna Devi, writing in "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking," suggests noting the colour and fragrance of your ghee. If the solids on the bottom of the pan are darker than golden brown, or if the fragrance is intense like toasted sesame oil, the butter has cooked too long, or over too high a heat. If this is the case, Devi suggests discarding the solids. The ghee is still usable, but next time adjust the heat or cooking time. 

More Indian Basics:

Indian Curry Base Recipe | Make-Ahead Curry Sauce

Jeera Rice

Butter Garlic Naan Bread

 

Rate and Leave a comment

Did you make this recipe? i'd love to hear about it! did you try any variations? if you loved this recipe/tried any variations/have some top tips, please leave a star rating and comment below. Your reviews make our day and your tips help others to find our recipes and enjoy them too!
 you can also follow us on instagram and subscribe to our newsletter to get our latest recipes.

📖 Recipe