Ghee is the pure butter fat, separated from the milk solids and water through boiling. It is the equivalent of clarified butter used in Indian and Pakistani cuisines.

The butter that contains water and milk solids along with fat is clarified by boiling, which separates the milk solids on the bottom and the fat on the middle and the water (in form of foam) on the top. In order to ensure all moisture (water) is removed from the fat, ghee is much longer boiled than regular clarified butter and the lightly caramelized milk solids give it a nutty, stronger flavor.

Originally, ghee was (and still is) produced from buffalo milk, but in general it can be made from the butter of any milk producing animal. It was probably invented for deep-frying as the pure butter fat offer a much better burning point than regular butter. As a matter of fact, the nutty, rich flavor of ghee is still often preferred to frying as opposed to regular vegetable oil, lard or margarine.