I was first exposed to Pure Indian Foods Ghee through NomNom Paleo. I ordered a small jar through Amazon to try it out. I enjoyed it and that small jar didn't last long. Back in February, I saw a tweet from Pure Indian foods to apply for blogger samples of different varieties of their ghee. Of course, I applied! Weeks past and I hadn't heard anything. Then in March, they had a table at a conference and I stopped by and purchased a huge jar.
And then finally, in May an email came that they had sent me a package with 3 varieties including the new Primal Fat. Awesome!
Here is how the box looked when I opened it. They had graciously sent a good sized bottle of their new Coconut Ghee- "Primal Fat", a jar of the Organic Grass-fed Ghee, that I already knew I liked, and a jar of Garlic Ghee that I was excited to try for the first time.
What is ghee?
Ghee is basically butter that has been cooked at low temperatures long enough for the water to evaporate and for the milk proteins to separate. The proteins are then filtered out and you're left with just the butter fat or ghee. Pure Indian Foods's Ghee is made from milk from Grass-fed cows. This means it is high in CLA and Omega-3s. Yes, technically my paleo friends it is dairy, but most people don't have digestive issues with it because the problematic milk proteins have been removed. Even Amy Kubal says I can have grass-fed ghee as a healthy cooking fat. It's Whole 30 approved. The Whole 30 link has a great article on the benefits of Pure Indian Foods Ghee and an interview with the company.
Ghee has a high smoking point and is great for most cooking methods. I've now used the plain Grass-Fed Organic Ghee in pretty much everything I cook that calls for added fat. It's performed beautifully in everything. It adds that awesome butter flavor to your dishes. Like coconut oil, it doesn't have to be refrigerated.
What is Coconut Ghee -"Primal Fat"?
Coconut Ghee is a 50/50 blend of Virgin Coconut Oil and Organic Grass-Fed Ghee. Since discovering Pure Indian Foods Ghee, I am often torn between using some coconut oil and getting the beneficial MCTs or Ghee and get the butter flavor I love. Pure Indian Foods has solved this problem with Coconut Ghee. You no longer have to choose. The Healthy Home Economist has done an awesome detailed comparison of coconut oil and ghee and how coconut ghee can be used.
Because it is made with virgin coconut oil, it does have a coconut flavor. I tried it in dishes where it seemed appropriate to have coconut flavor like curries and stir fries.
What is Garlic Ghee?
It's basically Organic Grass-fed Ghee with garlic infused in it. Another brilliant idea. Again, I tried this out on all sorts of vegetables and meat all with great results. Alas, my jar of this variety is now empty.
Accessibility & Cost: You can buy Pure Indian Foods Ghee products directly from them at their website. You can also find it at Amazon.com and some stores local to you depending on where you live. It's not inexpensive, but you're paying for the quality of the product, which is superb with respect to both the manufacturing process perfected over 5 generations and the ingredients they make the ghee with. They do offer bulk discounts.
The Paleo Review: Thumbs Up! I simply love cooking with this ghee. It adds a marvelous buttery flavor to whatever dish you use it in. I really enjoyed trying the Garlic Ghee for the first time. The garlic flavor was much more mild than I expected it to be but in a way that was nice to get the hint of garlic without full on garlic flavor. I was going to take pictures of dishes that I used the different variety of ghees in, but I realized I'd have to picture nearly every meal.
The Primal Fat for me has a little more limited use in my kitchen because I don't like the coconut flavor of virgin coconut oil in all of my food. I typically use an expeller pressed coconut oil. This is completely a matter of personal taste preference for me and is not a reflection on the quality of the product. The product is great and cooks well as they promise. If you like virgin coconut oil, you will love the Coconut Ghee.
If you've not tried Pure Indian Foods products, go ahead, get a small bottle. I bet you'll be back for more.