Learning how to make traditional ghee (also known as Ghruta in Ayurveda) is a rewarding process. You will not only learn how to turn milk into its most digestible and nourishing form, but you will also connect to a tradition that extends back many thousands of years.
Some Vedic texts view history much differently than Western historians, labeling events and ascribing evolution over millions of years instead of mere thousands. In this view, traditional handmade ghee may in fact be a recipe that has been passed from person to person from farther back than we can imagine.
Whatever the case, the traditional recipe calls for some dedication. Rather than simply buying a stick of butter from the store and heating it up to separate the fats, you’ll be making this ghee from scratch.
Here’s what you need to know.
Traditional Ghee Recipe
- First, you’ll need access to raw milk. It’s important to note that traditional ghee comes from the milk of free-range, grass-fed Indian cows that have a hump and produce A2 milk, like holy Gir cows.
- Then, it’s important to lightly heat the milk under a low flame to remove impurities.
- Next, place the warmed milk into an earthen pot so that it can ferment into curd.
- Churn the curds to make buttermilk.
- From the buttermilk, separate out the cultured butter and simmer until the milk solids sink to the bottom and darken in color, and the butter turns clear.
- Next, strain the solids. What is left is pure Ghruta, a golden-yellow, richly-scented cultured ghee with a granular texture.
Where to Buy Traditional Ghee
You can see from the above summary on how to make traditional ghee that it is quite a labor-intensive process that takes several days. While this is something that you certainly could take up yourself, you may not have access to A2 whole milk from free-range, grass-fed Gir or Desi cows or you many find the steps and techniques too overwhelming. If so, you can purchase Ghruta, or traditional ghee, made by hand in small batches from PIOR Living. PIOR Living Ghruta is made according to the described traditional Ayurvedic techniques. Learn more about their process for making Ghruta.
