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Ghee (Ghrita)
Ghrita
Clarified butter is one of Ayurveda's most valued foods: why it is called the best of all fats, how it carries herbs, what medicated ghee is, and how to make ghee at home.
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Ghee is butter simmered until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate and are removed. Ayurveda considers it nourishing, kindling to agni without aggravating Pitta, and an excellent carrier (anupana) for herbs and spices.
Why Ayurveda values ghee
Charaka (Sutrasthana 25) calls ghee the best of all fats. It is described as sweet, cooling, nourishing and good for memory, intelligence, digestion, voice and skin. Its special quality is that it takes on the properties of whatever it is cooked with without losing its own, which is why it is used as a base for so many herbal preparations.
Medicated ghee (ghrita)
Medicated ghees are made by slowly cooking ghee with herbal decoctions and pastes until the water evaporates. Classical examples include Triphala ghrita for the eyes, Brahmi ghrita for the mind and Mahatiktaka ghrita for the skin. They are medicines, prescribed in specific doses by a practitioner, not kitchen ingredients.
Ghee for each dosha
Vata: excellent; ghee counters dryness and supports digestion. Pitta: excellent; ghee is the most cooling of the fats. Kapha: use sparingly, perhaps half a teaspoon per meal, and favour lighter oils, since ghee is heavy and oily.
Ayurvedic properties
- Taste · rasa
- Sweet
- Potency · virya
- Cooling
- After digestion · vipaka
- Sweet
Effect on the doshas: Excellent for Vata and Pitta; Kapha types should use it sparingly.
How to use it
- Tempering spices (tadka) at the start of cooking
- A teaspoon over rice, dal or kitchari
- Spread on warm flatbread
- Used as a base for herbal preparations
How to make it
- Melt unsalted butter over low heat
- Simmer gently until foam rises and the milk solids sink and turn golden
- Strain through muslin into a clean, dry jar
- Store at room temperature; keep water out of the jar
Benefits
Ghee is almost pure butterfat, with only traces of lactose and casein, so many people with mild lactose intolerance tolerate it. It has a high smoke point, around 250°C, which makes it stable for tempering and frying. It is also about 60% saturated fat, so the benefits Ayurveda describes come with the usual advice: use it, but in moderation.
Charaka (Sutrasthana 13) explains that ghee takes on the qualities of the herbs it is processed with without losing its own, and Charaka Sutrasthana 25 names it the best of all fats. Hundreds of classical formulas use ghee as their base.
Safety
Ghee is a saturated fat; use it in moderation, especially with high cholesterol or heart disease. Don’t try ghee-drinking protocols (snehapana) without a qualified practitioner.
Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine. This guide is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or qualified practitioner — never stop prescribed treatment based on it.
Questions
Is ghee better than butter?
Ayurveda prefers ghee for cooking; it has a higher smoke point and contains almost no lactose.
How much ghee per day is healthy?
For most people, one to two teaspoons a day as part of a balanced diet. Less for Kapha types and anyone with high cholesterol or heart disease.
What is medicated ghee?
Ghee cooked with herbs according to classical recipes, used as medicine under a practitioner’s guidance.
Does ghee need to be refrigerated?
No. Properly made ghee keeps for months at room temperature if you keep water and food crumbs out of the jar.
Is drinking ghee on an empty stomach good?
Taking ghee in the morning is an Ayurvedic practice called snehapana, used in specific doses before cleansing therapies. It should only be done under supervision.