Homemade Instant Pot Ghee

Smell triggers memories, and we all have fond memories of the foods that we enjoyed as children. 

Ghee, for me, is ONE of them. It brings back so many beautiful memories that I had spent with my mother. 

She was an excellent cook and would feed us vegetables, bread and lentils smeared and cooked with generous amounts of homemade ghee and we loved it to the core. Back then, everything in our house was cooked with ghee. 

My cooking inspiration comes from my mom, and whenever I make ghee, it makes me nostalgic and reminds me of her cooking. 

Ghee is a staple in my house, and I use it in my day-to-day-cooking. It has a high smoke point and gives the taste of butter to whatever you are cooking.

But instead of the traditional approach (cooktop method), I prefer to cook ghee at times in my crockpot and sometimes in my Instant Pot.

Both the appliances are great savior in the kitchen.  

If I find myself needed to cook ghee in a shorter amount of time, I toss the butter in my Instant Pot and have homemade ghee in less than 20 minutes.

But if you prefer a more relaxed approach, try making ghee in a slow cooker. It’s equally good. At times, when I like to slow cook, my ghee than crockpot is my best buddy.

WHAT IS GHEE?

If you are not familiar with ghee, then let me first give you a heads up. Ghee is a traditional food made from butter.

Ghee contains a higher amount of medium and short-chain fatty acids than butter, which puts it in the category of heart-healthy fat that is good for you.

That is why I prefer ghee over butter. It is a good replacement for oil while making stir-fries, Indian curries, or sautéing just about anything. 

Butter is made up of water + milk solids+ casein (a protein found in milk) + butterfat.

Butter can go bad quickly in a tropical climate, but ghee doesn’t. Why, because when unsalted butter is cooked thoroughly, all the water, casein, and milk solids are removed from butter.

The liquid that is left behind is an all-cooked-up browned pure butterfat, and that is GHEE! These cooked browned milk solids at the bottom are what bring out the nutty flavor of ghee. 

Did you know – Ghee is one of those well-adapted foods that, if taken care of, can adapt to the varying environmental conditions.

How to make Homemade Instant Pot Ghee?

The process of making Instant Pot ghee is pretty simple.

1. Unwrap the butter sticks and add them to the Instant Pot. 

2. Set your Instant Pot to the ‘Saute Mode.’ Adjust to ‘Normal setting’ (in the center of the display screen). Set an external timer for 15 minutes.

3. Soon butter sticks will start to melt.

4. Butter after 8 minutes should be bubbling actively, and milk solids will begin to separate. At first, the milk solids will form a white foam and float on top of the inner pot. 

5. 12 minutes into cooking the butter will start to sizzle and turn light in color. 

6. After 15 minutes of cooking, the water will start to evaporate from butter, and the caramelized milk solids will settle at the bottom of the pot.

7. Once the timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot. As the Instant Pot cools, the ghee will continue to cook in the IP. 

PROTIP – If the milk solids have turned brown at the bottom of the insert, remove the inner pot to avoid further cooking. We are looking at brown mill solid, not black. 

8. Allow the Instant Pot ghee to cool comfortably. Strain the ghee through a coffee filter or cheesecloth into a clean, dry jar.

9. Left behind caramelized milk solids after straining butter.

10. Store Instant Pot ghee in a cool dry place or refrigerator. For extended shelf life, store ghee at room temperature.

» Ghee is a superfood with many health benefits. Ghee is known to have anti-inflammatory properties that help boost immunity.

» Ghee is lactose-free. People who are lactose intolerant can consume ghee without any worries. Instant Pot ghee

» Ghee aids digestion that can help heal your digestive tract problems.

» Ghee is excellent for frying, cooking, and sauteing because it has a high smoking point of 480 degrees F. That means it won’t burn quickly. But if ghee or any oil is heated past its smoke point, it is not healthy.  

» Ghee is full of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K and healthy fatty acids that contribute to a healthy heart, bones, and immune system.

» Ghee has a long shelf life. If milk solids are correctly cooked or browned, ghee can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 months.

» Ghee is an excellent replacement for butter in a recipe.

» Ghee can be used in making a pastry too. Chill the ghee and then use it in the recipe. Instant pot ghee

It’s actually not required. Instant Pot ghee

Ghee stores well at room temperature. If the milk solids were carefully removed, ghee would store well in your pantry in a dark, cool place, or even in your refrigerator.

Ghee will remain fresh for long (4 months) if stored in the fridge. The fridge is a better option than the pantry. Just make sure no water or moisture gets close to it. 

Store it in an airtight container so that it doesn’t pick up odors from other foods in the refrigerator.

But if you still want, you can freeze ghee for up to six months in an airtight container.