The folks over at Pure Indian Foods were kind enough to send me this variety pack of their Organic Ghee from Grass-fed & Pasture-raised Cow’s Milk. (You know, REAL milk.) I received 6 jars of Ghee infused with herbs and spices. I KNOW, right?
I’m not going to split hairs here, my ONLY complaint is that the jars were an ounce in size. I really had to get creative in thinking of everyday ideas to use these in recipes since I had such a small amount.
Yes, small amounts of pure, buttery, gold. I really cannot complain.
I love this product and have used the plain variety in the past. It was fun to add the herb-infused flavors to my cooking. I will purchase it again and again.
So…what is Ghee?
In short, it is clarified butter. From their site:
Golden colored Ghee (pronounce it with hard G as in Go and a long E as in Glee) is prepared by melting and simmering unsalted butter until all the water evaporates and the milk solids settle at the bottom. The remaining butter oil is very stable, giving it a high smoke point which makes it an excellent choice to use for frying and sautéing and it can be stored without refrigeration for several months. Ghee is also known as Indian Clarified Butter, Seafood Butter, Drawn Butter, Butter Oil, Ghee Butter or Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF). In India and other South Asian countries, it is also known as Desi Ghee, Pure Ghee, Asli Ghee or Ghritam. Ghee is a dairy product and as such it is gluten-free.
Ghee has a very long and rich history. It has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years. According to an article published in the journal Nature, traces of ghee and cheese were found in pottery from 6,500 BC. The following quote from the ancient text "Charvak Darshan" by an Indian philosopher Charvak (3000 BCE) shows the importance of ghee:
In Sanskrit (click here to see this text in Sanskrit):
Yaavat Jeevet, Sukham Jeevet
Rinam Kritva, Ghritam Pibet
which means:
As long as you live, live happily
Beg, borrow or steal, but relish ghee
I also thought this Ghee vs. Butter section was extremely informative. During the clarification process, milk solids, lactose and caseins are removed, so it’s great for those who want that rich taste in cooking, but are concerned with allergies.
How I used it:
Digestive Ghee
Contains Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Ginger. The flavor has a similar hint of spices used in Chai Tea; it is subtle but definitely adds depth.
I put a small amount in Baby Girl’s Oatmeal Bowl and in my coffee. We both have tummy troubles, so I thought this would be a great way to start the day!
Garlic Ghee
Contains Organic Garlic. Perfect garlic tone – not too overpowering, but definitely mouth-watering.
I fried up some bacon for sautéing some frozen fresh garden Green Beans, but it was a little lean, so I added this ghee to the mix. Fantastic!
Herbes de Provence Ghee
Contains Organic Savory, Organic Thyme, Organic Rosemary, Organic Basil, Organic Tarragon, Organic Lavender Flowers. The flavor is similar to the fragrance of fresh herbs you find in the French countryside – Fresh thyme and lavender.
I used this ghee to mix into a quick shrimp and broccoli stir-fry for Baby Girl & I’s daily lunch. Added a bit of salt and lemon & pepper seasoning. We were good to go!
Indian Dessert Ghee
Contains Organic Fennel, Organic Cardamom, Organic Saffron. Flavor has a slight hint of fennel and is subtly reminiscent of licorice with just a touch of cardamom and saffron.
I used this entire jar to create a quick, healthy, homemade chocolate by combining it with a cup of melted semi-dark chocolate chips and 1/2 c. shredded coconut. Pour into molds (or in my case, mini-muffin tin) and freeze for a couple of hours. These are the perfect size for satisfying a craving. Honestly…I still have about 1/2 of the batch left and that is pretty amazing! You can add dried fruit and nuts to this recipe, too.
Italian Ghee
Contains Organic Oregano, Organic Rosemary, Organic Thyme. The flavor is reminiscent of sautéing fresh Italian herbs from garden.
I used this ghee to fry up some potatoes. Very tasty!
Niter Kebbeh
Contains Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Coriander, Organic Cumin, Organic Turmeric & Organic Nutmeg. Subtle curry flavor and aroma with just a hint of cumin.
This went into a spaghetti squash bake. I also added additional Turmeric spice, salt and pepper over it. Baked for an hour at 350 F.
More info:
Connect on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Ghee & Grass-fed Articles & Recipes
Disclaimer: I was sent a review package from Pure Indian Foods for the purposes of this review. The opinions and thought expressed here are my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment