There’s nothing like homemade ghee – so fresh and pure! Making homemade ghee/clarified butter in a slow cooker is so much easier than you think.
Ghee, a type of clarified butter is an essential part of Indian cooking. It is used in day to day cooking ranging from sweet to savory. Ghee is digestible, healthy and full of essential nutrients. How to make ghee in slow cooker
Its rich, nutty flavor makes it a perfect accompaniment to curries and other foods. Add a tablespoon to your soups and curries and it adds an outstanding flavor to any dish. How to make ghee in slow cooker
But did you know?
Ghee and butter are made up of different components. Butter on its own is made of butterfat churned from cream, water, and milk solids. And ghee which is reduced from butter is nothing but pure, aromatic butterfat – or sudh makhan.
How to make Ghee in a Slow Cooker?
Ghee is made using regular, unsalted butter from grass-fed cow’s milk and in some cases, buffalo milk. To make ghee, butter is slowly cooked in a pan or in a slow-cooker until all the water and casein (a protein found in all mammals’ milk) is removed.
Proteins (milk solids) coagulates at the bottom of the pan and all that is left behind is a delicious fat that is low in lactose and is casein-free. This healthy fat (ghee) can now be used for frying or high-temperature cooking as it has a very high smoking point.
Similar to coconut oil, ghee has a high nutritional value and is a rich source of vitamin A, D, E and K. Because of these fantastic properties, ghee is both healthy and great to cook with.
I like to call it G – Ghee is, H- Heaven sent, E- Extraordinary, E – Elixir (medicinal potion). w to make ghee in slow cooker
Other ways to make ghee! How to make ghee in slow cooker
Rice cooker – You can cook ghee in a rice cooker too. Put it in the RICE /COOKING setting and follow the recipe below. Cooking time may vary depending on the make and model.
Cooktop/Stove – FOR STEP BY STEP COOKTOP GHEE RECIPE FOLLOW THIS LINK.
Instant pot – How to make Ghee in an Instant Pot?
Some tips to keep in mind!
- After butter has melted, keep the lid slightly open for rest of the time. Butter contains water and there will be some foaming and bubbling, therefore keep the lid slightly open for the steam to escape.
- For me, total cook time was 4.5 hours – 3 hours on HIGH and 1.5 hours on LOW setting. Depending on the model and temperature of the slow cooker it may take longer for ghee to cook.
- Straining ghee in a glass jar- allow it to cool completely or the hot ghee will break the jar.
- If all the water from the butter, is evaporated and milk solids are browned properly then ghee stays good for long. If there is any water left behind, ghee will become rancid (rotten).
- Clarified butter/ghee has a longer shelf life, both in the refrigerated (6 months or more) and at room temperature (2 months).
Hope you like this simple ghee recipe and give it a try. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them. Would love to hear from you. ?
How to make ghee in slow cooker
Instructions
- I have used a programmable 6 quarts slow cooker for making ghee. Before you begin, please read all the tips above.
- Heat the slow cooker on high. Unwrap butter blocks and add it to the heated slow cooker.
- Slightly cover the slow cooker with lid and set the timer to 4-6 hours. Why cover the lid slightly? Because butter contains water and there will be some foaming and bubbling, therefore keep the lid slightly open for steam to escape. Butter after 50 minutes – white foam has settled to the base of slow cooker.
- By boiling butter, milk solids will separate. Let it simmer until the white foam starts to turn light brown in color. It took me 3 hours (depending on the model of the slow cooker it may take longer).
- After 3 hours of continuously boiling on HIGH, milk solids are settled at the bottom and lightly toasted. Because the inside pot is stoneware milk solids will not stick to the bottom.
- LOWER the settings. Set it on LOW and let it simmer uncovered for another 1.5 hours. Water and milk solids separate and settle at the bottom. Milk solids have turned dark brown in color – all toasty and gritty. The end result is a nutty flavored golden colored puree ghee that is totally water-free. This is what gives ghee a longer shell life and distinguishes it from clarified butter. Allow it (ghee) to cool ( as in comfortable to touch).
- Line a strainer with cheesecloth or you can use a coffee filter.
- Line the coffee filter with a liner. Filter the ghee through it.
- Milk solids will collect on top and ghee will filter through.
- Once all the ghee is strained through, milk solids will remain in the cheesecloth/coffee filter and can be discarded.
- Look at that beautiful color. As ghee cools, it will turn lighter in color.
- Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place. This recipe yields 4 cups or appx. 800 grams of ghee.
- If cooked well, ghee can be stored at room temperature for long.
Recipe Notes How to Store Ghee? – Ghee stores well at room temperature. If the milk solids were carefully removed, ghee will store well in your pantry in a dark, cool place or even in your refrigerator. – In fact, 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. |
Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided below is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. Please refer to a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionists if you have any health issues. Nutrition InformationCalories: 162kcal | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 5mg | Vitamin A: 565IU | Calcium: 5mg |
Alka Dighe says
My slow cooker has stainless steel pot can I still make ghee in it the way you have described?
Ruchi says
I think you should be okay.
But to be on the safe side, start watching the ghee 30 minutes prior to the cooking time.
Please, keep me posted on how did it go. 😊
Debora says
Hmmm…. so I did this but within 2 hours of slow cooking it on high it started smelling very nutty and dark… so I lowered it to low and ultimately decided to just shut it off and strain as the grit had turned black. My color was not golden but a beautiful amber — dark amber color. I strained it twice. Is it still ok?
Ruchi says
Yes, that’s absolutely fine. Dark amber is a beautiful tone for ghee. You can use that in your day to day cooking.
Every slow cooker is different. Maybe next time you can reduce the cooking time. Hope that helps!
Awesome Dairy says
Awesome! so easy to make ghee. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ruchi says
Pleasure is all mine, thank you!
Mom Mashhood says
Hi Ruchi,
I liked the idea of making bhee out of molten butter , I didn’t know it before. I usually make bhee out of malai, collected from boiled buffalo milk. It’s properly strained. Then I put this malai in a non sticking vessel and cook it on a low flame till malai dissolves and start to look as in a form of bhee. Then I squeeze ghee through strainer by gently pressing with the help of spoon in a plastic jar. It becomes like a tasty ghee. My questions is my ghee does not taste well after two weeks. Is it because of my incorrect method of making ghee or what else could that be. I keep my ghee in a room temperature.
Ruchi says
That’s how ghee is made, traditionally.
Ghee tasting bad.
If the milk solids were not thoroughly cooked or in other terms if there was moisture left in the ghee then ghee will go rancid and taste bad. Just make sure that milk solids are cooked well and strained properly. Ghee has a long shelf life. If milk solids are burned well, ghee can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 months.