Besan Burfi To Palak Pulao: 3 Healthy Recipes From Cow Ghee

A 6,000-year-old superfood, ghee is considered one of the most treasured foods in Indian kitchens and has been loved by all for generations. It is a primary ingredient in almost all Indian cuisines like dal, rice, halwa, chapattis, khichdi, and much more; name a dish, and you’ll have it! According to Ayurveda, ghee has many miraculous health benefits and healing properties. Consuming desi ghee increases the absorption of healthy vitamins and minerals in your body, keeps your heart healthy, and enhances digestion. 

Healthy recipes from cow ghee

Ms Dolly Kumar, Director & Founder, Cosmic Nutracos, the parent company of Gaia, shares some delicious and super healthy Indian recipes that can be made using cow ghee, providing excellent health benefits:

1. Soak 1 cup of rice for 20 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee into a cooker/pot and put cashew and raisins until they turn light golden. 
3. Take them out of the frying pot for garnishing. 
4. Now chop one onion and fry it until it turns brown.
5. Add 1 tbsp of ghee into the same pot and add a few whole spices like 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 1-star anise, 1 small cinnamon, and 3 cardamoms. 
6. You can also add green chilli and fry all this for a minute. 
7. Now it’s time to add the drained rice into the super aromatic mixture. 
8. Fry all these ingredients for 3-4 minutes and stir in between. 
9. Add one tbsp of salt and pour 1/4th cup of water if you are cooking this dish in a cooker (or 2 cups water if cooking in a pot). 
10. Stir and cook it for the duration of a whistle on a medium-high flame.
11. When the pressure is released, fluff up the rice with a spoon. 
12. Let the water boil in a pot, regulate the flame to low flame, and let it cook for 10-15 mins.
13. Now garnish it with cashews, raisins, and fried onions, and the ghee rice is ready to serve! 

Health benefits: Simple in preparation and rich in protein,  ghee rice is a popular south Indian recipe. You can pair it with any dal or vegetable of your choice. It helps in digestion and is an excellent way to detox. In addition, rice works as a prebiotic and provides the growth of good bacteria. 

Palak Pulao (Spinach Rice) Recipe

1. Preparation time: 20 mins. 
2. Cooking time: 20 mins.

Ingredients: Chopped spinach, basmati rice, cashew, sweet corn, bay leaf, cinnamon, one onion, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and ghee.

1. Take 1 cup of rice, rinse it 3-4 times and soak it in water for 15 minutes. 
2. Boil 1 cup spinach in hot water for 3-5 minutes and transfer it into cold water. 
3. Blend the spinach with a mixer-grinder/blender into a smooth puree. 
4. Heat 1 tbsp ghee, sauté cinnamon, and bay leaf for 30 seconds in a non-stick pan.
5. Add sliced opinions and let it fry until it turns light brown. 
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste into this mixture and sauté for another 30 seconds. 
7. Next, add the spinach puree and sweet corn kernels and stir lightly. 
8. Cook the mixture on a medium flame for 3-4 minutes. 
9. Now add rice to the cooked mixture and stir continuously. 
10. Add 1¼ water and salt to taste and bring it to boil over medium flame. 
11. Cook, it covered for 10 minutes on low flame. 
12. Your palak pulao is ready, and it’s time to garnish it with fried cashews and nuts. 

Health benefits: Spinach is rich in insoluble fibre and helps in improving digestive health. It’s a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K1. In addition, spinach and ghee have antioxidants that help prevent diseases like cancer and improve your eyes' health. 

Besan Burfi

1. Preparation time: 10 mins.
2. Cooking time: 8 mins.

Ingredients: 1 cup besan, 3/4cup melted ghee, 5 tbsp semolina (rava), 3/4cup powdered sugar, ½ tbsp. cardamom powder, 8-10 chopped almonds

1. It’s easy to pamper your loved ones with these traditional homemade sweets. 
2. Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan and start roasting besan on a low flame till you get an aromatic flavour.
3. Keep constantly mixing so that the mix doesn’t create lumps. 
4. Gradually besan will start absorbing ghee, and a thick mixture will be formed. 
5. Scrape the besan mixture from the bottom while stirring, and you will see that ghee has started releasing from the sides. 
6. The non-stop mixing will give the besan a nice golden colour and a pleasing aroma. 
7. Now, put powdered sugar and cardamom powder in the mixture and stir on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes. 
8. Grease a tray well with some ghee. 
9. You can put butter paper/aluminium foil, grease it with ghee, and spread the mixture evenly. 
10. Sprinkle the finely chopped almonds on it and pat it lightly and allow it to cool down.
11. Cut it into pieces using a knife. 
12. Serve it or store it in an air-tight container, and it can be stored for a week—no need to refrigerate.

Health benefits: Besan is high in folic acid and protein, and ghee contains good fat, making it a super delicious, healthy homemade sweet to satisfy your taste buds. In addition, Besan is rich in magnesium, which regulates insulin by lowering insulin resistance. So people who are suffering from diabetes can also consume this sweet in moderation.