Many people have a great desire to eat out. And it's true that many dishes are hard to prepare at home. Also, some dishes have exotic ingredients which one may only use once and which might be quite expensive. Moreover, eating out exposes us to a new ambience.
Being a doctor's daughter I am conditioned to be suspicious of hotel food. I also suffer from many stomach troubles. Thus, I prefer to eat at home. In one way, it saves a lot of money.
Though it is a little difficult, one can always try new recipes, especially if ones family is not so conservative. Trying to cook new dishes together is one way to relax for a family or couple. This is something which can delight children too.
For many years I make butter at home. For a long time I was very bad at it but a young boy gave me a good tip-never use water when putting the cream into the mixie. I collect the malai from the milk everyday in a container and try to add "dahi" to it regularly. At the end of the week I put all this in the mixie and run it for sometime and soon it becomes butter.
This butter has to be washed several times until the water is clear. You can drink the water as you strain it off or use it on your plants.
In fact, I add dahi to the "buttermilk" and more water and one chopped chili, some crushed curry patta, crushed lime leaf, crushed ginger, lime juice and salt and it is very refreshing to drink.
Try some of this fresh butter on your dosas, chapatis or hot rice.
After a week, when more butter is being made, I heat the old butter to turn it into ghee. You must use a low flame and stir frequently. Some solids will remain. do not let those burn. Strain the ghee and use the residue to make laddoos!
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Ghee residue - 1 T
Ghee - 2 t
Atta - three-fourth cup
Sugar - half cup
Add atta to the residue and stir on a low fire. Add sugar and keep mixing. When it is well mixed, take it off the fire and when it is cooled a bit, make balls while still warm.
Everyday, I enjoy a few drops of ghee in my food. It's supposed to be good for us.
I also use ghee to heal chapped lips and cracked heels.
Please do share if you have any tips and tricks for butter, ghee, or things to do with the residue.
