Sophia Pappas A beloved cooking fat in India, ghee’s virtues and uses are numerous When my little one started eating solids, my pantry was overtaken by an uninterrupted supply of ghee. The sudden invasion was caused by the matriarchs of the family, who wanted to ensure that I fed the infant only homemade, rather than store-bought, ghee. Steel canisters poured in from their kitchens to ours, enough to last a few months. Ghee holds sacrosanct value in my culture. It is used in cooking, worship, and alternative medicine. In the Indian culinary universe, ghee is a beloved cooking fat, and also a luxurious one. It is ambrosial, treasured for its nutty flavor and grainy mouthfeel. Its role in everyday as well as festive dishes is critical. Whether it’s used for a tadka, the ingenious technique of blooming whole spices in fat, or for deep-frying sweets and snacks for the gods, or as a final flourish over a bowl of khichdi or chapati, the role of ghee is so critical that traditional home ...