Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sjuvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!psuvax!burdvax!sjuvax!bbanerje From: bbanerje@sjuvax.UUCP (B. Banerjee) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: recipe for Biriani (Clarified Butter) Message-ID: <199@sjuvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 10-Mar-84 01:32:33 EST Article-I.D.: sjuvax.199 Posted: Sat Mar 10 01:32:33 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 11-Mar-84 06:51:32 EST References: <757@ihuxq.UUCP> Organization: Saint Josephs Univ. Phila., Pa. Lines: 38 >> 5 tablespoons ghee ( clarified butter ) I haven't encountered clarified butter that much in Western Cuisine, so there may be some questions on the actual process of clarification. The easiest way to do this is to buy 450 grammes (1 lb. for you non- metric types) of sweet butter. Drop this in a saucepan and heat over a medium flame. After a while (~ 15 - 20 min.) the butter will have separated into the following parts : a. A scum floating on the top. b. A golden liquid (oil) c. A brown residue settling on the sides and bottom of the saucepan. Skim off the scum and discard it. Strain the oil into a jar and refrigerate (This is your clarified butter). The brown residue may be discarded. However, it is also quite delicious when mixed with rice. Primary advantages of clarified butter are a. It has a much longer shelf life than regular butter. b. It can be heated to much higher temperatures than butter, making it superior for frying. It is indespensable in cooking Indian Food. Additionally, try saute` ing (accent not on this keyboard) vegetables with it. The quick heating brought about by the higher temperatures of the oil really makes a difference (seals in flavours). If you want to be really authentic, milk yourself a cow. Boil the milk, and collect the cream that rises to the top as it cools. Render this down in the same way as noted above. However, it will take you a lot longer than 20 minutes. -- Binayak Banerjee {allegra | astrovax | bpa | burdvax}!sjuvax!bbanerje