Pure ghee is the soul of Indian sweets and comfort food. Here are a few simple, time-tested recipes that show it off.
In traditional sweets and tadka, bilona ghee brings the aroma and richness no oil can match. Use pure ghee and the same recipe simply tastes better. Here are three classics to start with.
You need: 2 cups besan (gram flour), ~¾ cup pure ghee, ~¾ cup powdered sugar, a few cardamom pods, chopped nuts.
Method: Warm the ghee in a heavy pan, add besan, and roast on low, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant (15–20 min). Cool slightly, mix in powdered sugar and cardamom, then roll into ladoos and press a nut on top. Let them set.
You need: 1 cup whole-wheat flour (atta), ~½ cup pure ghee, ½ cup powdered jaggery or sugar, mixed nuts & seeds, edible gum (gond) optional.
Method: Roast atta in ghee on low until deep golden and nutty. Add nuts/seeds (and fried gond), then sweetener off the heat. Serve warm or store — a traditional winter and post-partum food.
The simplest one: heat a spoon of pure ghee, crackle cumin/mustard, add hing and dry red chilli, and pour over dal or sabzi. Because ghee has a high smoke point (see ghee vs butter), it’s ideal for tadka without burning.
Aromatic A2 desi bilona ghee — the soul of every sweet and tadka.