Homemade butter and Ghee (Clarified butter)

Homemade butter is the purest and tastiest butter ever. I make it twice in a month. I take 1 and 1/2 ltr cows milk everyday. The quantity of milk skin depends on the quality and quantity of the milk. Thicker the milk Thicker the milk skin. Still if you follow the below process you will have the finest butter.

Ingredients:

For Butter -

1. Milk - at least 1 ltr per day

2. Curd - 1/2 tb spoon per day

3. Water - 1 glass

For clarified butter -

1. Butter 

Procedure to make butter -

1. Boil milk at low flame twice a day. Each time you boil it ensure that it cools down completely. Once the milk is boiled live it open for 10 to 15 minutes each time and then cover it with the lid.

2. Once the milk is cooled completely you can see a layer of skin on top of milk (it's also called malai in hindi)refrigerate it for at least 5 hours(you can refrigerate it more than 5 hours as well). Don't forget to cover it with a lid.

3. Take out the milk from fridge and with a spoon scrape the milk skin(malai) from the side of the container. This scraped skin will fall in the container on top of the layer of skin. Below is the layer of the skin I got after boiling the milk twice. 

4. In another deep container with a spoon take out the layer of skin and add 1/2 tb spoon of curd in it.  Mix well and keep it aside for 4 to 5 hours covering it with a lid. After 4 to 5 hours place the container in a fridge.

5. Repeat the procedure from 1 to 4 daily for 15 days. (I usually boil the milk during day time as my dudhwale comes in the morning and then at around 10 pm I place it in fridge. Next morning at around 6:30 am I take our the milk and the malai(layard of the skin) container and transfer the layer of the skin in the malai container)

6. Below is the malai container which I had after 15 days. On day 15 once you transfer the malai, keep the container aside for 4 to 5 hours. After 4 to 5 hours you can see the malai has risen up and has reached completely at room temperature.

7. Now start churning the malai with a churner for 8 to 10 minutes.

8. Add half a glass of water and churn again for 5 minutes. After churning

 Keep it aside for 5 minutes. Add remaining water churn it again for 5 minutes. Now you can see pure butter floating on top. 

9. With clean hands transfer the butter in another container. 

10. Once all the butter is transfered in another container you will have two containers one with thick white whey which is thick buttermilk and the another one with butter. You will also see little buttermilk left at the bottom of the butter utensil. Slowly tilt the butter container holding the butter with your fingers softly and pour it in the buttermilk. You may have to do this 3 to 4 times to remove all the buttermilk from the butter.

11. Once all the buttermilk is gone from the butter, your butter and buttermilk is ready.

12. Keep the buttermilk immediately in the fridge to avoid sourness. 

13. As its said buttermilk keeps your body cool and helps in digestion, you can consume it daily after your meals. Just add 1 tb spoon sugar, 1/2 tea spoon salt, 1/2 glass water, 1/2 glass buttermilk and pinch of cumin powder. Mix it well and its ready to consume. If you dont like sweet you can ommit sugar. You can also make 'Kadhi' with buttermilk.

Procedure to make clarified butter -

1. For clarified butter, In a deep bottomed utensil heat butter on low flame.

2. Once the butter melts completely it starts developing a froth which rises rapidly. This may cause spilling of the butter therefore to avoid this keep on stirring frequently and dont leave it unattended. it is also important to take a deep bottomed utensil to avoid spilling.

3. After 7 to 10 minutes the froth will disappear and will stop rising.

4. Keep on stirring. After 8 to 10 minutes the butter will start changing its colour from yellow to light golden colour.

5. Keep on stirring after every minute and after 7 to 10 minutes the colour changes to golden and the ghee starts separating 

6. A light brown colour residue starts separating and starts settling at the bottom of the utensil. It's very important to stir it frequently as this residue may burn and give a burnt smell to your clarified butter. 

7. Keep on stirring after every 30 to 40 seconds. Once the residue starts turning brown turn off the heat and stir it for another minute.  

8. The clarified butter is ready. 

9. Allow it to cool and then pour it carefully in a steel container leaving behind the residue. 

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 You can use clarified butter (ghee) on parathas, rice, puranpoli, chapati, to make sweets, biryanies, gravies, curries, etc. It gives the unique taste and richness to the dish.