Ghee and its amazing positive health attributes
I HAVE long known that ghee is rich and delicious, but I would mostly use it for more traditional purposes, such as curries and soups.
Ghee is butter that is simmered to remove the water and milk fats, then filtered, resulting in a cooking fat that is shelf-stable and usable at much higher heats than butter and most oils.
Ghee is almost entirely free of lactose and casein, the two reasons many people avoid dairy.
Studies show that ghee does not increase cholesterol, as it is high in shortand medium-chain fatty acids, instead of the long-chain fatty acids most associated with heart disease.
Ghee has long been touted in Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine as having healing attributes.
Modern studies validate that ghee provides the fat-soluble vitamins A (for eyesight and skin), D (for bones and immune health), and E (to balance hormones and repair damaged tissue).
Ghee has one of the highest smoke points of any fat or oil, so it can be used to cook at almost any temperature.
The smoke point of a cooking fat should matter because when oil is heated beyond its smoke point, the oil changes structure and becomes less healthy to consume.
Just as ghee looks like butter and is made from butter, it is also a saturated fat like butter.
The calories from saturated fats should make up less than 10% of an overall healthful daily diet.
Luckily, very little ghee is needed to achieve a rich, creamy flavour.
Ghee is sold at most grocery stores and opened jars can be stored in the refrigerator for a year or in the pantry as a liquid for three months. |
The Washington Post