Ghee

Ghee is also known as clarified butter. It is an oil that is used quite a lot in Indian cooking. I grew up eating vegetarian Ayurvedic - the ancient Indian system of health - food, and ghee was something we always had on hand. It is quite pricey to purchase in a store, but you can make your own easily and much more affordably!

You can use ghee in place of any oil you normally cook with, and it is also a great alternative to butter, as it doesn't burn as easily. I use it for everything from stir-fry to toast, and it is just wonderful. My relatives were all very happy to receive a jar of it for Christmas this year.

It has a very distinctive, though mellow flavor, and a soft and creamy texture. You can store it in an air-tight jar at room temperature for months. Try some, won't you?

Ghee

butter (any quantity you desire)

Place butter in a pan that is about 4 times the capacity of the amount of butter you are using. Over the lowest heat possible on your burner, cook the butter until all of the solids have sunk to the bottom of the pan and the melted butter is completely clear - not cloudy in the least. It can take over an hour to reach this point, so don't be alarmed if it seems to be slow-going. You don't want the butter to be simmering vigorously, because the milk solids will get toasted, and you'll have a big pot of brown butter. After the butter becomes clear, gently ladle through a fine mesh sieve into a jar. Let the ghee cool to room temperature before putting a lid on the jar to avoid condensation. The amount of ghee you'll end up with will be slightly less than the amount of butter you started with.