If you’ve read about the benefits of ghee and ghruta, you are likely ready to give this tasty, beneficial lipid a try. Ayurveda teaches that ghee gently stokes agni (digestive fire), balances all three doshas (especially Vata), nourishes ojas, supports the brain and nerves, and is easy to digest. In addition, ghee is versatile and has a high smoke point, making it excellent for cooking as well as spreading on toast and treats. If you are wondering how to use ghee, there are no shortage of great ideas! Let’s take a look at several ways to use ghee.
Ghee: Cook with It!
First of all, ghee has a high smoke point. PIOR Living’s Ghruta has a smoke point of 250 degrees Celsius (482 degrees Fahrenheit), which makes it ideal for high heat cooking. It is important not to heat oils past their smoke point because when cooking oils smoke, the fat molecules break down and release free radicals and other potentially harmful chemicals. Also, oil heated past its smoke point will compromise the taste of the food.
A high smoke point means you can use ghee for roasting veggies, stir frying, frying, baking, and sauteing. Basically, anywhere you would typically use cooking oil or butter, you can use ghee. If you are still wondering how to use ghee, here are a few ideas to get you started.
How to Use Ghee – Four Ideas
Saute your veggies in ghee. Whether you are cooking up broccoli, kale, bell pepper, or cauliflower, ghee makes a wonderful saute and stir fry oil. This is true if you are using Indian seasonings, Italian herbs, or East Asian flavors. Ghee has a pleasant but not overpowering taste, so it works well in many different types of dishes.
Use ghee in kitchari and porridge. One property of ghee is that it helps carry the benefits of herbs and spices deeper into the body. Also, ghee gently stimulates agni, the digestive fire. Most kitchari recipes call for ghee, and adding ghee to kitchari, oatmeal, and other porridges will improve flavor. In addition, ghee boosts the assimilation of beneficial herbs and spices, and nourishes ojas.
Spread it like butter. Ghee, sometimes referred to as clarified butter, is similar to butter. However, it typically has a slightly sweeter taste, is better for cooking, and is usually well-tolerated even by those who are allergic to lactose and dairy. Therefore, ghee makes a wonderful alternate to butter. Wondering how to use ghee if you don’t have time to cook? Spread it on toast, dates (to build ojas), rice crackers, or anywhere you would typically use butter.
Add ghee to hot beverages. You can add ghee to coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or other beverages. Adding fat to beverages nourishes the rasa (fluids of the body) and helps produce a feeling of satiety. In addition, ghee carries the beneficial constituents in various herbs and spices deeper into the body. Therefore, adding a spoonful of ghee to turmeric milk or adaptogenic hot cocoa can help those nourishing herbs and spices sink in deep. Plus, it’s a great way to stoke the fires from inside out on a cold day.
Just the Beginning
If you are curious about how to use ghee, there are truly a plethora of ways. Ghee is wonderful in more than Indian and Ayurvedic dishes. Try it out with your various cooking and baking endeavors, and let us know your favorite ways to use ghee and ghruta!
Greta Kent-Stoll is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (NAMA), as well as a writer, editor, and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. Her Ayurveda practice is based in Asheville, North Carolina and she is the co-owner of Iyengar Yoga Asheville.
