If you’ve been reading our blog for even half a minute, you’ve probably gathered that we love BUTTER- we love it a lot. Butter is healthy(huh??), tasty and we’re not talking just any butter, but REAL butter- the kind made with real milk from healthy, hormone and antibiotic free cows who eat their native species-appropriate diet of fresh green grass, rather than the GMO-laden corn and soy feed so popular in industrial feedlots. (What’s a GMO?) (Wait! Cows eat grass, not corn??)
But there are times when butter is not appropriate. What?!? I know, I know. But it’s true. If you are cooking something at a higher heat, the milk solids (the creaminess) in butter can burn, and that is neither healthy nor tasty. Additionally, some folks can’t eat butter, and it’s not necessarily allowed on the GAPS Intro diet (it is on the full GAPS diet for most). (What’s GAPS?) So what’s a butter lover to do in these situations?
Enter GHEE.
What is ghee? Well, to put it simply it’s clarified butter, or butter that has been melted and the milk solids removed. It’s tolerant of high heat applications (without ill health effects) and free of casein and lactose, so it’s safe for those who are dairy-free to enjoy. It has the excellent flavor of butter and carries awesome nutritional benefits. It’s shelf stable, free of any damaged or trans-fats and doesn’t splatter during cooking.
Not all ghee is created equal, however. Just like with butter, great care has to be taken in ensuring that the ghee is made from the milk of healthy animals eating fresh green grass.
Enter PURE INDIAN FOODS.
This amazing family owned business has been producing high-quality and delicious foods since 1889 and the tradition has been handed down through FIVE generations. We had the opportunity to meet the owner, Sandeep, at the Weston A Price conference last fall and a nicer person you could not meet. We were struck by the committment to quality and integrity that Pure Indian Foods strives for. Not only do they source the highest quality organic ingredients, package their product in glass to avoid chemical leaching (as with plastics) but they also take special care to produce the ghee in accordance with specific lunar cycles, a practice in harmony with ancient Vedic traditions.
Traditional ghee is delicious, with a full rich buttery taste. Pure Indian Foods has upped the ante, however, with their new line of flavored ghees! Under the guidance of internationally renowned herbalists and Ayurvedic experts, beneficial herbs and spices are added to the ghee during production, adding not only incredible taste, but additional health benefits as well. The flavors currently available are:
Digestive Ghee– with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger- similarly spiced to chai tea. Excellent in oatmeal, over pancakes, stirred into warm raw milk… One of my favorites!
Garlic Ghee– ghee with garlic. Excellent over a grassfed steak, in soups, to saute onions… A tie for our favorite!
Herbes de Provence Ghee– with savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon, and lavender flowers. Great with salmon, with lobster, eggs, or on vegetables. So fragrant!
Indian Dessert Ghee- with fennel, cardamom and saffron. Perfect with roasted nuts, in breads or other baked goods. Lovely in banana bread!
Italian Ghee– with oregano, rosemary and thyme. Great with chicken, soups, pasta or with veggies. The flavor of garden fresh herbs can’t be beat!
Niter Kebbeh- with cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and nutmeg. Excellent on chicken, in soups, on fresh toasted bread, with rice or I love it simply stirred into nice homemade chicken bone broth.
I highly recommend that you try Pure Indian Foods Ghee and new Flavored Ghees. It’s a staple in our traditional real foods kitchen and the new varieties are exciting and healthful. From cooking eggs, meats, popcorn, poured over pancakes or simply stirred into broth, we are totally sold on ghee!
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