Topic: Just what is vegetable ghee?

[George]

I normally associate the word 'ghee' with clarified butter or 'butter ghee', which is special because it keeps much longer than ordinary butter and can be fried at higher temperatures.

But what's so special about so-called 'vegetable ghee', if anything? Is it any different to solid packs of vegetable fat like Flora or Trex, found in any supermarket?

Does anyone even know which vegetable(s) it's made from?

Regards
George

[Bob_McBob]

Isn't vegetable ghee just vegetable fat that's made to taste and look like usli ghee?  According to wikipedia, it's actually not all that healthy, just cheap.  I guess that explains why they sell it in huge tubs at the Indian grocery store I shop at.  I mostly cook with safflower oil, but I do use proper ghee for some recipes.

[Chilli Prawn]

Yes it is a substitute foor butter ghee.  It is a blend of vegetable fats that have been homogenised .  Its properties are:  that it looks and smells like Ghee (psyhological), but mainly that it has similar high cooking temperatures to ghee, e.g. much higher than standard cooking oils.  The BIRs like it because it is great for flash frying.  Bob is correct, and I would just stick to vegetable oils.  BTW I use both types of Ghee and various types of oil as all have their special attributes.

CP