It is believed that ancient nomadic people first discovered the miracle of butter. While travelling long distances, nomads would attach sacks containing milk to their pack animals and the cream was eventually churned into butter.
Letting the cream ferment with live bacteria before churning creates a tangy version called cultured butter. Cultured butter is creamy, more buttery in flavour. Cultured or fermented dairy products contain lactic acid-producing bacteria that begin to break down both lactose (milk sugars) and casein (milk proteins), which aids in digestion. These helpful bacteria strengthen our immune system, checks pathogenic bacteria from multiplying and helps digest our food.
In Indian culture, the cow is considered sacred; cow represents the soul, and it is gentle and generous. The butter it gives is a sacred offering, fuel for lamps, and treasured food. Krishna worshippers have special love for cows. The Hindu god's role as a cowherd, and stories about his love of butter are legendary. He is lovingly called "Makhan chor." This means, "butter thief."
Ingredients
4 cups Milk cream
1 tbsp yoghurt
Method of preparation
- To get good amount of thick cream and later butter, full fat, unhomogenized (pasteurized is ok), non UHT milk should be used. I boil full cream milk in the morning, cool and keep in
the refrigerator uncovered till evening. Then a thick layer of milk cream will
be formed on the surface. This I carefully remove and keep in the freezer.
- In 15 days I get about 4 cups of cream. Then I take it out of the freezer in the morning and leave outside to bring it to room temperature.
- In the evening I add 1 tablespoon of yoghurt and mix well, close and leave till next day morning.
- In the morning I use the churner or wooden hand blender and move it clockwise in the vessel containing the milk cream. In just about 8 to 10 rotations, the butter will form in lumps. You can do this in a blender also. I find using blender and cleaning it later cumbersome.
- Now I add cold water from the refrigerator and use the churner for just about 5 seconds. The butter forms huge lumps, which is taken out and is ready for use.
- For making ghee, the butter is kept in a thick bottomed pan on low fire.
It should be stirred in between and when the light brown colored milk solids settle down, and the surface is filled with bubbles, remove from fire.
- The ghee is strained, cooled and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It should not be refrigerated. The separated solid can be eaten as such (I love it), or after adding sugar, or used to make sweets.
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