Enjoy this homemade Instant Pot Ghee recipe, made with grass-fed unsalted butter. Make it in your favorite Instant Pot for perfect and consistent results. You can also make it on a stovetop saucepan.
Ghee is a staple in every Indian kitchen. It is added to everything – to lentils and curries, to roti’s, naan and parathas (flatbread), and the flavorful varieties of rice and biryanis. None of these would be as delicious without the addition of ghee.
What is Ghee?
I love this description of Ghee from R.K. Narayan who was asked to write an excerpt to explain what Ghee is – “Ghee is, no doubt, clarified butter, but it is also something more, in the same way that wine is more than the juice of a squeezed grape. The origin of ghee is, no doubt, butter, but ghee is like a genius born to a dull parent… A perfectly boiled ghee is considered fit for the gods. Ghee is a litmus test of integrity: One could measure the morals of a shopkeeper or the fine qualities of a host by the purity of ghee offered.”
So perfectly put, the essence of Ghee for the Indians! Oh..and now all over the world!
- Ghee is unsalted butter that has been cooked until the milk solids separate and brown.
- It can be used in place of butter or oil in cooking.
- Ghee is primarily saturated fat, and good fat.
- It is popular for its high-smoke point and nutty, toasty flavor.
- Ghee has a very good shelf life and does not need to be refrigerated for a long time. It solidifies at room temperature.
Buying good quality (read organic grass-fed) ghee is quite expensive. But it is significantly cheaper to make it at home from grass-fed butter.
Is Ghee same as Clarified Butter?
Ghee is sometimes called as Clarified Butter for ease, however it is actually clarified butter that has been simmered down longer where the milk solids brown. This gives ghee it’s nutty roasted flavor.
Clarified butter and ghee both are made almost the same way. For clarified butter, you boil unsalted butter until milk solids separate. However for ghee you boil further to turn the milk solids brown.
Benefits of Ghee
I am not going to list all the benefits of Ghee. There are many sites that do that. However I want to mention some that stand out for me and have made me consistently include it in my everyday cooking.
- Omega-3s (monounsaturated fats) are healthy forms of fat that can be found in ghee.
- Ghee is rich in butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid which is linked to an immune response that can reduce inflammation and help improve the digestive system. These also help decrease levels of unhealthy cholesterol.
- Ghee is rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
- There are other benefits such as improving energy level and strengthening the immune system.
- Ghee is lactose free and can be consumed even if you are dairy intolerant (check with your physician)
How to make Homemade Ghee from Butter in Instant Pot?
It is very easy to make ghee in the instant pot. Add the butter to instant pot and set it on Saute (Normal) mode. I use Kerrygold butter to make Ghee as it is made from grass-fed cow’s milk. Costco unsalted butter works well for ghee too.
As we are cooking on Saute mode, the timer of the instant pot does not work. Hence set an external timer for 10 minutes.
The butter will start to boil and become frothy. Then the milk solids will begin to separate and water will start to evaporate.
Cook until about 10 minutes where the milk solids will settle at the bottom of the pot. At this point, turn off the instant pot.
Even though the instant pot is turned off, the ghee continues to cook and the milk solids caramelize and turn golden brown. Now the ghee is cooked. Remove the steel insert from the instant pot.
Now we want to separate the caramelized milk solids from the ghee. You can use a cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to strain the ghee. Then store it in a heat proof glass jar or steel jar. Make sure the ghee is completely cooled before you close the lid of the jar.
Ghee can be stored at room temperature and does not spoil. When you make this ghee, your house with fill up with the aroma and you will want to slather it on a paratha right away…Yum!
Why make Ghee in the Instant Pot?
- It is easy to make ghee in the instant pot
- It is easier to clean and does not cause any splatter or mess.
- It cooks consistently in a specified amount of time.
- It needs less monitoring.
Here are some of my favorite recipes where I use ghee –
Homemade Ghee - Instant Pot or Stovetop
Instructions
- Add the butter to the instant pot steel insert. Set an external timer for 10 minutes. Start the instant pot in Saute Mode (Normal). Butter will start melting.
- At about 7-9 minutes, the melted butter should be bubbling vigorously and milk solids will start to separate. (see photos for visual cues).
- Initially the milk solids (white foam) will float on the top, but they will settle down to the bottom of the insert and caramelize.
- Turn off instant pot at about 10 mins. The ghee will continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. The milk solids should be brown and settle down.
- We want the milk solids on the bottom to turn golden brown, but not blacken. Keep a close eye so it does not burn.
- Remove the steel insert from the pot when the milk solids are golden brown in color. (see the pictures for guidance)
- Strain the ghee using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a dry glass or steel jar. Let the ghee cool completely before closing the lid. It will solidify depending on the room temperature.
- Store ghee at room temperature, away from sunlight. It will stay fresh. You can also store in a refrigerator, but it is not required.
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
I see you recipe call out that on sauté mode the timer doesn’t work. I am not sure I follow becoz it does. If beeps and turns off.
Other question – is darker ghee not good to use ?
Hi Namratha – In my instant pot model, the sauté mode works for 30 minutes and I cannot adjust the timer. It is possible that in newer models you can adjust the time on sauté mode. Darker ghee is not necessarily bad to use. It is a taste preference. I have noticed from seeing multiple posts about ghee that in north india, people prefer lighter color and in southern India, darker color ghee is preferred. So really, try both and see what you like best 🙂
It never turned brown using an ip mini. Heated it for nearly 15 minutes, then turned it off.
Hey Monisha – I have heard that the ip mini can take longer to make the ghee on sauté mode. I believe the heating is lower in a mini. You can try to use Sauté (High) [Press Saute multiple times or Saute then Adjust to change between low, normal and high] next time, so you can make it quicker. You can also just keep it on saute for longer to brown the milk solids.
Hi how long would you recommend I put it on for when I’m making a large batch of ghee such as 96 oz?
Hey Payal – As we are cooking ghee on Saute mode, it takes as long as the quantity being made. It is hard for me to give the exact time for the quantity, however I would say go by the visual cues for the changing color of ghee. You might also want to cook on Saute (Normal) mode only for large quantity.
Thank you Meeta ?
Hi Meeta. Finally i tried making ghee using kerry gold unsalted butter 16oz. I religiously followed all the steps mentioned including timing. But did not get aroma of ghee and it still smells like butter. Color of ghee looks good. But milk solids did not turn golden brown.i have 6qt duo plus IP.
what went wrong here?
Tia.
Hey Priya – I know we have been talking on Facebook already, just want to reply here as well.
I have same issue. Any guess where is it gone wrong?
Hey Jay – I would suggest to just cook the ghee for longer. You can also do it on Saute (Normal) mode. Every instant pot can heat a bit differently, so it is best to see the visual cues. When we tried to find the issue that Priya was facing, it was also that the ghee does look different than the one brought from the indian grocery store and probably the aroma is lesser than the one cooked from scratch.
Hi Meeta. I am going to try making this. And this will be my first time ever making ghee at home..i have one question. After turning off IP and waiting for 6-8 mins should i immediately transfer to a container or can i wait until it is completely cool down and then transfer to container.
Thank you so much.
Hey Priya – Sorry I missed responding earlier. You can wait until the ghee cools down. You could also transfer to the container, just don’t put the lid on until it cools completely. I just made ghee and have the wonderful aroma all around the house 🙂
Hi Meeta. Can’t wait to try this as this will be my first attempt of making ghee. I have kirkland unsalted butter from Costco. Is this good to use? Also how many grams of ghee(approximate) can be made from 16oz of butter.
Tia.
Hey Priya – Yes, you can use unsalted butter from Costco to make ghee. 16oz butter will yield about 13oz of ghee, but could vary as I measured once with kerrygold butter.
can’t wait to give this a try…there is definitely a difference in the flavor of ghee or butter…thanks for sharing
Hey Therese – I hope you enjoy homemade ghee. It is very flavorful and nutritious 🙂