Butter vs ghee-- Which is better for cooking?

Have you made the switch to ghee already?

Tania Tarafdar | Updated: December 29, 2017 4:02 pm

Last night, I treated myself to a delicious home-made paneer tikka masala. I prepared it with whipped cream, yoghurt and a couple of tablespoons of butter so while it was spicy it was also equally creamy. So this dish definitely does not fall in the healthy recipe category with all the saturated fat. So to feel less guilty the next time nutritionist Padma Syal advised me to replace the butter with ghee. Here’s why!

Replace butter with ghee
While butter has a high cooking smoke point, a long shelf life and a nutty taste, the calories and fat in butter will have you running away from it. And while it is true that ghee contains around 85 calories just in one tablespoon which is almost equivalent to the 102 calories in butter, it contains zero trans fat, and so it always makes sense to substitute ghee with butter. Trans fats pose a greater likelihood of heart disease than saturated fats. Also, the milk solids are removed from ghee during the clarifying process, it can be perfect for lactose intolerant people. And when sautéed with spices, ghee can help aid in digestion and also boost your immunity. Also, don’t replace ghee and butter with vanaspati and margarine because you think it is low-cal. Not true. Margarine is not healthier than butter.

Eat ghee in limitation
Ghee is considered to be unhealthy because people do not know how much is too much. Though it has several benefits, eating unhealthy amounts will only lead to problems. Learn to draw the line at two teaspoons of ghee per day. Also, remember that it is rich in saturated fat and eating too much can increase your cholesterol levels, affecting the heart. Did you know consuming too much butter can double your risk of diabetes?

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Published: December 29, 2017 3:07 pm | Updated:December 29, 2017 4:02 pm

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