Bilona is the old way of making ghee, and the name comes from the churning. Instead of cooking ghee straight from cream, the milk is first set into curd, then churned to separate the butter, which is slow-cooked into ghee. It takes time and a lot of milk, but the result is the granular, nutty ghee many of us remember from our grandmothers’ kitchens.
What you will need
- Full-fat milk, ideally from desi cows. Expect roughly 25 to 30 litres of milk for 1 kg of ghee, though the yield depends on the milk’s fat.
- A spoon of curd as a starter.
- A large earthen or steel pot, and a wooden churner (madhani) or a hand blender.
- A heavy-bottomed kadhai or pan, a ladle, and a muslin cloth or fine strainer.
- Clean, completely dry glass jars.
Step 1: Boil and cool the milk
Bring the milk to a boil, then let it cool until it is just warm to the touch. Lift off the layer of malai that forms on top and collect it in a container in the fridge over several days if you are working with smaller quantities. Many households make bilona from malai saved over a week.
Step 2: Set the curd
Stir a spoon of curd into the warm milk (or the malai mixed with a little milk), cover, and leave it somewhere warm for 8 to 12 hours, until it sets thick and slightly sour.
Step 3: Churn the makkhan
Transfer the curd to a deep pot and add some chilled water, about a quarter of the curd’s volume. Churn steadily with the madhani, rolling it between your palms, or use a hand blender on low. After 15 to 30 minutes the butter separates and floats as soft white lumps, leaving thin buttermilk behind.
- Cold water helps the butter come together; add a little more if it is slow.
- Do not throw the buttermilk away. It makes excellent chaas or kadhi.
Step 4: Wash the butter
Gather the makkhan with your hands and rinse it in a bowl of cold water two or three times, until the water runs mostly clear. This removes leftover buttermilk, which would otherwise make the ghee sour faster.
Step 5: Cook it slowly
Put the butter in the heavy kadhai over medium heat. It will melt, foam and bubble as the water cooks off. Lower the heat and let it simmer, stirring now and then, for 30 to 45 minutes depending on quantity.
- The ghee is ready when the bubbling quietens, the liquid turns clear and golden, and the milk solids at the bottom turn a light brown.
- The kitchen will smell nutty and rich. If it starts to smell burnt, take it off the heat at once.
Step 6: Strain and store
Let it cool for a few minutes, then strain through muslin into dry jars. Leave the jars uncovered until the ghee is at room temperature, then close them. As it cools it sets into the familiar granular texture.
Common mistakes
- Cooking on high heat. The solids burn before the water has gone, giving a bitter ghee. Low and slow is the whole secret.
- Stopping too early. If water remains, the ghee spoils quickly. Wait for the bubbling to settle and the liquid to clear.
- A wet jar or spoon. Moisture is ghee’s enemy. See how to store honey and ghee.
If you would rather not spend a day at the stove
Our A2 Cow Desi Ghee is made exactly this way: milk from free-grazing desi cows, set into curd, churned, and slow-cooked in small batches. Each batch is lab-tested, and the report is on the product page.
