Why is ghee important for one's diet?
Its one of India's heritage recipes and a therapeutic one at that. The method in which ghee is made gives it a unique colour, consistency, flavour and aroma, along with multiple health benefits. So from good looks to sharp brains, from overcoming constipation to spiritual evolution, ghee is celebrated in India for every reason - gross to subtle, small and big.
What are the health benefits of having ghee?
Great skin, lubricated joints, stronger immune function, better memory, heart health, fertility, ant- carcinogenic and everything in between. Super crucial these days is for assimilation of Vit D, because vit D deficiency is the rich man's new disease.
How much ghee should one have in a day?
As much as one wants, as much as is required to bring out the best taste, flavour, aroma and texture of food without making it greasy.
The market is abuzz with many types of ghee. What type of ghee should one have?
The one that is made at home following all the protocol - being distilled or purified from milk to malai, from malai to butter, and gets churned and heated, is the best one. The important thing to remember here is that the milk should come from the Indian breed of cows, often called as desi cow and the one who walks arounds and grazes on nutritious grass. Not the Jersey cow that you saw in the DDLJ movie, who is fed corn and hormones. The hierarchy here is - Indian cow followed by buffalo and last option is Jersey cow.
What are the things one should keep in mind while buying ghee?
Answered in previous question, but to put in one line - that it comes from Indian cow milk and that butter has been churned while making it and not just heated or melted.
There is also an alternative debate that ghee has disadvantages for people who are overweight, and also lead to cardiovascular diseases. How would you respond to that?
The debate exists because people confuse ghee with any other saturated fat. Just like they have now learnt that all fat is not bad, they will also learn that all saturated fat is not the same. While it makes sense to avoid saturated fat that comes in "fibre rich" biscuits and "iron enriched" cereals, it is important to understand that the saturated fat in ghee is different from the one that is found in packaged and processed food products. Ghee has a very unique carbon atom structure, much smaller than the usual and commonly found and rightfully feared saturated fat. This unique carbon atom chain is what gives ghee all its therapeutic, almost magical, properties. The "deabte" is a consequence of half information, one that overlooks the basics of chemistry.
How should one include ghee in everyday diet?
Ghee is versatile in nature, it can lend itself beautifully to deep frying, tadka or can be added to flavour dals, rotis, parathas, etc. You could even apply it to your toes or head as a relaxant and it works better than a sleeping pill. Its smoking point is high so you can have it cold, warm or hot, depends on individual preference and the type of cuisine involved.
You can also check out my other column blog on ghee - http://rujutadiwekar.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-goodness-of-ghee.html
And youtube link from the DVD Indian food wisdom and art of eating right - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u9hChQtt6I with kareena Kapoor
P.S: The questions were asked by a leading newspaper, but as happens quite often, the answers were too "boring" for them to carry it. So it makes it to my blog.
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