pandamonium

What do people tend to use when they're cooking? I know mostly ghee is
recommended but that's not always to hand. I often use standard vegetable
oil, which is usually (in the UK anyway) **** seed oil that has been
refined to remove the odourants. I have found that, although the results
are usually OK, it doesn't have the richness that I have experienced with
ghee. The problem with ghee is, or so I have found, it goes rancid quickly.
Vegetable oil also rancidifies as well and it takes on a nasty putty-like
aroma. Refined vegetable oil is pretty much odourless so it doesn't add
much to the flavour. Ordinary butter heated gently with the vegetable oil
adds some of the richness to it but it burns quite easily so care is
needed. This seems to work better with lamb rather than chicken I have
found.

When I purchase ghee, what is the best way to keep it? Is freezing ghee
recommended? I have only purchased ghee from the supermarkets as I don't
live very near to any Indian ingredient outlets. Perhaps the
rancidification process has already been initiated before I buy it.
Producing my own ghee always seems so much of a faff to me.

Don't get me wrong, I have followed a lot of tips here and enjoyed what is
produced as a consequence, I just wonder if I can further enhance my
experiences using the correct fats to start with.

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dave fawthrop

| Is freezing ghee
| recommended?

We have frozen butter without problems, so ghee should also be OK. --
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> http://www.webshots.com
Thousands of wonderful professional photos for your Wallpaper and
Screensaver. also 200,000 amateur pics. Four new pics each day.

ace

Eh? I've never noticed this happenning. I thought pretty much the
whole point of ghee, as opposed to butter, was that the 'impurities'
that would go off had been removed.

I do keep mine in the fridge, mind, although it's not recommended that
you need to, but It will last a good year[1] or so.

Sounds like poor quality oil, or perhaps it's an odd blend. I always
use Groundnut oil, which does hae a certain flavour and a very high
smoke point, if ghee is innapropriate, or very occasionally Olive oil,
but never in Indian food.

Not sure it's required. IME it keeps perfectly well in the fridge.


[1] It's hard to get where I live[2], so I have been known to buy two
or three kilos at a time.
[2] In France, although I've found that in Switzerland (where work)
they sell clarified butter for use in roasting, so the bulk-buying is
no longer required.

--
Ace in Basel - brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom

wazza

: What do people tend to use when they're cooking? I know mostly ghee is
: recommended but that's not always to hand. I often use standard vegetable
: oil, which is usually (in the UK anyway) **** seed oil that has been
: refined to remove the odourants. I have found that, although the results
: are usually OK, it doesn't have the richness that I have experienced with
: ghee. The problem with ghee is, or so I have found, it goes rancid quickly.
: Vegetable oil also rancidifies as well and it takes on a nasty putty-like
: aroma. Refined vegetable oil is pretty much odourless so it doesn't add
: much to the flavour. Ordinary butter heated gently with the vegetable oil
: adds some of the richness to it but it burns quite easily so care is
: needed. This seems to work better with lamb rather than chicken I have
: found.
:
I keep ghee in the fridge, both animal and veg. (strangely the veg. ghee has
'added butter flavour'). I mostly use veg oil, and ****seed oil if I remember to
buy some. It is probably the best oil for cooking from a health point of view,
as it is almost all unsatuarated. Unfortunately, that is also its downfall, as
unsaturated fatty acids breakdown most easily. The problem of rancidity you have
found is due to the fatty acids being auto-oxidised (just oxygen) and/or
photo-oxidised (just photons), so to reduce the rancidity keep in the fridge to
reduce rate of reaction and reduce light levels (are you sure your fridge light
goes off??). Excluding as much air will also help. The smell (you correctly
identified as putty-like, in act is due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids, like
omega 3 and 6 types, found in abundance in linseed oil, which is found in real
putty). Also the smell of lino (remember lino?) lino....linoleum....linseed oil.
Walnut oil is the best for this smell, IMHO, and in my kitchen, unfortunately.

: When I purchase ghee, what is the best way to keep it? Is freezing ghee
: recommended? I have only purchased ghee from the supermarkets as I don't
: live very near to any Indian ingredient outlets. Perhaps the
: rancidification process has already been initiated before I buy it.
: Producing my own ghee always seems so much of a faff to me.
:
: Don't get me wrong, I have followed a lot of tips here and enjoyed what is
: produced as a consequence, I just wonder if I can further enhance my
: experiences using the correct fats to start with.
:
If you want a butter taste, you can always add butter after you add the water
based ingredients, it doesn't have to be heated to frying temperatures.
cheers
Wazza

ian hoare

Salut/Hi pandamonium,

le/on Thu, 23 Jun 2005 00:14:30 GMT, tu disais/you said:-


It depends where the recipe comes from. On the whole it's best not to
substitute across types. So I prefer NOT to substitute ghee with oil, or
vice verse, or either with any animal fat - rarely used in the indian
subcontinent I think.

So for recipes where it's traditional to use ghee, it's better to substitute
with butter unless you're going to have to fry at a high temperature.
Margarine (which is also sold, with water removed as "pure vegetable ghee")
can also be substituted, and is perfectly acceptable for vegetarian versions
of dishes where ghee would be normal. My own experience of ghee, by the way,
is that it goes rancid very slowly. It also freezes fine. If you can't get
any, clarify butter yourself.

For recipes where it's traditional to use oil, I would always use one. I
should be more particular about using mustard oil, when it's the right one,
as it imparts its own character - but as I don't like it, I don't use it. In
southern India, coconut oil is often used - again I don't as I find it's too
powerful for my taste. I accept that I'm probaby wrong. So I tend to use a
neutral tasting sunflower oil. Although Madhur Jaffrey says that using Olive
oil is fine, I don't agree. I think she may be using cheaper olive oil which
don't have much olive taste. The really powerful ones are far too "olivey"
IMO.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

buggerlugs

I use vegetable ghee, which I buy in tubs at the indian grocer. I keep it in
the cupboard, and it lasts for months.

Always thought olive oil was for mediterranean cooking though not for
indian, don't much like the sound of that in a curry to be honest.

BL

pandamonium

What do people tend to use when they're cooking? I know mostly ghee is
recommended but that's not always to hand. I often use standard vegetable
oil, which is usually (in the UK anyway) **** seed oil that has been
refined to remove the odourants. I have found that, although the results
are usually OK, it doesn't have the richness that I have experienced with
ghee. The problem with ghee is, or so I have found, it goes rancid quickly.
Vegetable oil also rancidifies as well and it takes on a nasty putty-like
aroma. Refined vegetable oil is pretty much odourless so it doesn't add
much to the flavour. Ordinary butter heated gently with the vegetable oil
adds some of the richness to it but it burns quite easily so care is
needed. This seems to work better with lamb rather than chicken I have
found.

When I purchase ghee, what is the best way to keep it? Is freezing ghee
recommended? I have only purchased ghee from the supermarkets as I don't
live very near to any Indian ingredient outlets. Perhaps the
rancidification process has already been initiated before I buy it.
Producing my own ghee always seems so much of a faff to me.

Don't get me wrong, I have followed a lot of tips here and enjoyed what is
produced as a consequence, I just wonder if I can further enhance my
experiences using the correct fats to start with.

--
Email replies to this message are dumped to dev/null or some other black
void
Replace NOSPAM with liam if you really want to email me
Rubbish website - may cure insomnia http://www.eggwhisk.co.uk

dave fawthrop

| Is freezing ghee
| recommended?

We have frozen butter without problems, so ghee should also be OK. --
Dave Fawthrop <dave hyphenologist co uk> http://www.webshots.com
Thousands of wonderful professional photos for your Wallpaper and
Screensaver. also 200,000 amateur pics. Four new pics each day.

ace

Eh? I've never noticed this happenning. I thought pretty much the
whole point of ghee, as opposed to butter, was that the 'impurities'
that would go off had been removed.

I do keep mine in the fridge, mind, although it's not recommended that
you need to, but It will last a good year[1] or so.

Sounds like poor quality oil, or perhaps it's an odd blend. I always
use Groundnut oil, which does hae a certain flavour and a very high
smoke point, if ghee is innapropriate, or very occasionally Olive oil,
but never in Indian food.

Not sure it's required. IME it keeps perfectly well in the fridge.


[1] It's hard to get where I live[2], so I have been known to buy two
or three kilos at a time.
[2] In France, although I've found that in Switzerland (where work)
they sell clarified butter for use in roasting, so the bulk-buying is
no longer required.

--
Ace in Basel - brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom

wazza

: What do people tend to use when they're cooking? I know mostly ghee is
: recommended but that's not always to hand. I often use standard vegetable
: oil, which is usually (in the UK anyway) **** seed oil that has been
: refined to remove the odourants. I have found that, although the results
: are usually OK, it doesn't have the richness that I have experienced with
: ghee. The problem with ghee is, or so I have found, it goes rancid quickly.
: Vegetable oil also rancidifies as well and it takes on a nasty putty-like
: aroma. Refined vegetable oil is pretty much odourless so it doesn't add
: much to the flavour. Ordinary butter heated gently with the vegetable oil
: adds some of the richness to it but it burns quite easily so care is
: needed. This seems to work better with lamb rather than chicken I have
: found.
:
I keep ghee in the fridge, both animal and veg. (strangely the veg. ghee has
'added butter flavour'). I mostly use veg oil, and ****seed oil if I remember to
buy some. It is probably the best oil for cooking from a health point of view,
as it is almost all unsatuarated. Unfortunately, that is also its downfall, as
unsaturated fatty acids breakdown most easily. The problem of rancidity you have
found is due to the fatty acids being auto-oxidised (just oxygen) and/or
photo-oxidised (just photons), so to reduce the rancidity keep in the fridge to
reduce rate of reaction and reduce light levels (are you sure your fridge light
goes off??). Excluding as much air will also help. The smell (you correctly
identified as putty-like, in act is due to the polyunsaturated fatty acids, like
omega 3 and 6 types, found in abundance in linseed oil, which is found in real
putty). Also the smell of lino (remember lino?) lino....linoleum....linseed oil.
Walnut oil is the best for this smell, IMHO, and in my kitchen, unfortunately.

: When I purchase ghee, what is the best way to keep it? Is freezing ghee
: recommended? I have only purchased ghee from the supermarkets as I don't
: live very near to any Indian ingredient outlets. Perhaps the
: rancidification process has already been initiated before I buy it.
: Producing my own ghee always seems so much of a faff to me.
:
: Don't get me wrong, I have followed a lot of tips here and enjoyed what is
: produced as a consequence, I just wonder if I can further enhance my
: experiences using the correct fats to start with.
:
If you want a butter taste, you can always add butter after you add the water
based ingredients, it doesn't have to be heated to frying temperatures.
cheers
Wazza