Over the past two years, baking has emerged as one of the most popular hobbies. In the pandemic, enduring long periods of lockdown and isolation has led most to experiment with easy, baking recipes. But, have you ever wondered if you can swap some of the ingredients in your next baking expedition? Perhaps, butter with ghee?

If the answer’s yes, chef Meghna has some practical advice for you. She strongly recommends not swapping the two as “butter contains a lot of moisture and most recipes are designed, keeping this fact in mind”. She explains the differences between the two ingredients in an Instagram post.

“I wouldn’t recommend replacing ghee with butter as their properties are very different. Butter contains a lot of moisture, while ghee is concentrated fat. It is so because ghee is made after churning butter and hence, contains no moisture. Using a solid fat, such as ghee, in baking will require a change in other ingredients”, she says.

With most dessert recipes that need to be baked, butter is indeed a top component. The show-stealer among ingredients, many people wonder if it can be swapped with our very own desi ghee or clarified butter. Used abundantly in Indian savoury and sweet dishes, ghee is an excellent source of healthy fats and a great source of metabolism.

Ayurvedic practitioner Dr Aiswarya Santhosh lists a few benefits of this fat. She says, ”Ghee improves intellect, memory, digestion, metabolism, immunity, longevity, vision, virility. It’s the best among all exogenous fats. It’s rejuvenating in nature, pacifies vata and pitta.”

According to the practitioner, ghee acts as a lubricating agent, which enhances the absorption of nutrients.

While it tastes delicious and can be used in our favourite tadkas and sweets, it is best to avoid ghee or clarified butter when embarking on new baking adventures.