Clarified butter — the milk solids removed, which changes how it cooks and who can eat it.
Ghee is butter that has been simmered until the water evaporates and the milk
solids separate out and are strained away. What remains is close to pure butterfat.
That process does two useful things. It removes almost all the lactose and casein, which is
why many people who react to dairy handle ghee comfortably. And it raises the smoke point
substantially, because the milk solids that burn in butter are gone.
Ghee carries a
lot of cultural weight in South Asian cooking, and some of the claims made for it outrun the
evidence. It is an excellent cooking fat. It is still fat.
Per 100g. Ghee is essentially 100% fat — there is no protein or carbohydrate left.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
This is what you want for high-heat cooking. Tadka, frying, roasting,
searing — ghee holds up where butter and many seed oils break down.
Measure it. The single biggest mistake with ghee is treating it as healthy
and therefore unlimited. A teaspoon transforms a dal. Three tablespoons is a meal's worth of
calories before you have eaten anything.
It keeps without refrigeration.
Because the water and milk solids are gone, ghee is shelf-stable for months in a sealed jar.
Use a dry spoon — moisture is what spoils it.
The clarification is the whole mechanism. Removing water and milk solids leaves a fat that is stable at high heat and low in the components most people react to. Ghee does contain butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid your gut bacteria also make from fibre, and that is where most of the gut health claims come from — though you produce far more butyrate from eating vegetables than from eating ghee.
High cholesterol or heart disease: ghee is higher in saturated
fat per spoon than butter, because it is more concentrated. Portion control is the whole
game.
Severe milk protein allergy: trace casein can remain. Most
people with mild sensitivity are fine; anyone with a diagnosed allergy should ask their
doctor.
Weight management: at roughly 900 kcal per 100g, ghee is the
most calorie-dense thing in most kitchens.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.