Ghee is very good for health, and many health-conscious people now eat it every day. Many people once believed ghee would make them put on weight, but the article says this idea is completely wrong, because the good fat in ghee breaks down the bad fat stored in the body. Ghee has many other benefits too.

There is a big difference, however, between "pure" ghee bought in the market and ghee made at home. Many adulterated ghees in the market carry stickers saying they are pure, and eating them can harm your health. So to stay healthy you can easily make pure ghee at home.

Many think making ghee at home is very hard, but you may be surprised to learn that you need only two ingredients. Here is the recipe.

• 1 kg milk cream (sar)
• Cold water, as needed

First blend the cream very finely. If you like, you can grind it on a clean grinding stone instead. Put the ground cream in an earthenware pot and churn it as fast as you can with a clean wooden churner.

You can also use an egg beater. After a while you will see the butter separate from the cream. Once it has separated, beat it again with cold water and the water and butter will separate.

When all the butter has come clean and risen to the top, strain it out of the water and set the water aside. This water is buttermilk, unmatched in taste and aroma, and can later be used in rotis, pithas and so on.

Now, to get all the water out of the butter, tie the strained butter in a thin muslin cloth and hang it for 4-5 hours. Then put the butter in a clean iron wok over a low flame and stir it continuously.

After stirring for quite a while, ghee will start to come out of the butter. This is pure cow's-milk ghee. When all the butter solids have burnt black, you will see the ghee turn a deep golden colour and give off a fragrant smell, and then you know the real ghee is ready.

Take it off the heat, let it cool and strain it, making sure the burnt part does not mix with the ghee. Then store it in a dry glass jar, and your pure ghee is done.

Remember to use an earthenware pot to separate the butter. Using steel or other utensils may spoil it.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.