To Ghee or not to Ghee, that is the question...

[DeeDee]

So what's the big idea with Ghee?  Is it markedly better than veggie oil? 

Are you supposed to stir it all up or skim off the clear stuff? help me out here!?!?

Also, as people were talking in other posts about Ghee to avoid i'm posting a pic of the brand I just bought.  Anyone know it? Used it?

Are we having a "products we use" section?

[pete]

That's clearly not an Asian Ghee
I buy butter and veg ghee
Both smell buttery and a bit rancid (that's ok)
I use the veg ghee with pillau rice and, of course, in curry gravy
I have heard a few horror stories about supermarket ghee
Where did you buy this?

[traveller]

This is an indian ghee!!!  SWAD is a huge indian brand in the overseas market (away from india I mean - I am not sure about india itself)!!  I have been buying some Plough ghee but would prefer the Swad one as it is in a bottle.  Where did you get it from?

[Curry King]

I don't think ghee is used to any great extent in the curry's themselves, a couple of them maybe also rice and other bits.  I don't use it myself and have found in the past when I have used it that it solidifies and just doesn't look like a BIR curry when its cold.

[DeeDee]

Nothing like four different answers to instil confidence in a novice!!! 

I got the Ghee at Patel's here in Flushing (New Yawk).  They have it in everything from little jars such as this up to MASSIVE glass jars like the local newsagents used to have to sell sweets in back when I was a nipper.

So, to answer my question, if I do use it, do I stir it all up first?  It's all seperated.

[traveller]

No wonder!  I am looking all in the UK for that brand since I used to use it in the US!!  That explains why I cant find it here.  Just use it as it is.  No need to stir - with the temp of the kitchen, it will fluctuate between more solid and more liquid.  It is all the same.

[Mark J]

The animal ghee I use doesnt smell rancid, its smells lovely and sweet, I suspect rancid ghee smells rancid  ;D ;D ;D

BIR's do use veg ghee from my experience, in the base and on the nans

[Graeme]

DD,

I only use it on my home made nans, paint
with a brush covered in ghee when still hot.

The rice is taken from KD's book.

I could not do with out it for the above,
to give that special something.

regards,

Graeme.

[pete]

I use ghee on my home made naans too.
But only the butter one.
I have never seen the SWAD brand in any of the Asian supermarkets
The main brand, in Nottingham, is Kyber
Bright yellow plastic tubs with red writing
The smallest veg ghee container is 2 kg
It's too big to keep in the fridge but I was told that's ok
Is it?
I believe all the impurities are removed in it's production, so it can't go off.

[Mark J]

It's too big to keep in the fridge but I was told that's ok
Is it?

My local keeps the veg ghee next to the cooker