Ghee is butter that has had the solid fats and salts removed by slow simmering. Although it’s often thought of as a part of Indian Cuisine, it can be used in place of oil for sauteeing in any cuisine and can even be spread on toast instead of butter. Ghee is better for you as it is relatively free of oxidized cholesterol and it also has a much higher burn temperature and is less likely to become rancid. It will keep for months if store in a closed container in a cool dry place.
Ghee is surprisingly easy to make and homemade is more cost effective and fresh then ghee purchased at the store.
From The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking:
Begin by heating the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. When the surface of the butter is covered with a white foam, reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer uncovered. From time to time remove the solids that accumulate on the surface. Make sure the ghee doesn’t burn. If ghee
is cooked over too high a heat or cooked too long, it will darken and give off a pungent odor.
How much time you need for preparing the ghee depends on how much you are making (see table below). The finished ghee should be golden-colored and clear enoug~ to see through to the bottom of the saucepan. Carefully ladle the ghee into a can or crock and allow it to cool uncovered to room temperature. The milk solids skimmed off
the surface and the solids remaining in the bottom of the pan can be mixed into cooked vegetables, soups, and grains. Ghee properly prepared and stored in closed containers in a cool dry place will keep for months.
Preparation and Cooking Time of Ghee
Quantity of butter
Cooking time
Yield of ghee
2 Ibs (1 kg)
1/2 hr.
1 3/4 lbs.
Note: I’ve made this with one pound of butter and it turned out fine.
This recipe was hearty, satisfying, rich tasting and also Candida-Diet safe. It was also fairly easy and quick. I made mine a bit ahead of time and left it in the oven at low to steep in the curry sauce. Delicious!
from Heaven’s Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way by Miriam Kasin Hospodar
4 servings
STEP ONE
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
Pinch of hing (optional)
3/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tomatoes, chopped
STEP TWO
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups (350 g) green beans, cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) pieces
Salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1. Heat the ghee or oil in a pot. Add the hing, mustard seeds, and ginger and saute over low heat until the mustard seeds "dance." Add the tomatoes and saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they become mushy.
2. Stir in the turmeric, green beans, a sprinkling of salt, and the water. Cover and simmer until the beans are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Adjust the salt. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.
VARIATION For heat, add 1 teaspoon or more black pepper in Step 3 or add cayenne or crumbled red chilies to the ghee or oil in Step 1.
An Ayurvedic cookbook is an excellent resource for Candida-Diet cooks. Most recipes happen to avoid all the Candida aggravating culprits but somehow seem less about avoiding bad foods you can’t have and more about eating flavorful appealing food that leaves you feeling good.
A real advantage to the Ayurvedic diet is that it is designed to provide the best possible food choices depending on your body type and personality. There are many tests on-line, books with descriptions (check your local library) or Ayurvedic practitioners that can help you determine what Ayurvedic type you are.
I’m still experimenting with this myself and hope to know more about the effects of following the ayurvedic diet for my body type (Pitta-Vata) soon.
