[4] Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is obtained by churning cream, skimming any impurities from the surface, then pouring and retaining the clear liquid fat while discarding the solid residue that settles at the bottom.

The texture, color, and taste of ghee depend on the quality of the butter, the milk used in the process, and the duration of boiling.

[6] Traditionally, ghee is made from bovine milk, either cow or water buffalo, and has been used in rituals since the Vedic period.

[8] Ghee is also used in bhang in order to heat the cannabis to cause decarboxylation, making the drink psychoactive.

[11] Ghee is common in cuisines from the Indian subcontinent, including traditional rice preparations (such as biryani).

In Bengal (both West Bengal and Bangladesh) and Gujarat, khichdi is a traditional evening meal of rice with lentils, cooked in a curry made from dahi (curd), cumin seeds, curry leaves, cornflour, turmeric, garlic, salt and ghee.

It is also an ingredient in kadhi and Indian sweets, such as Mysore pak, and varieties of halva and laddu.

Indian restaurants typically incorporate large amounts of ghee, sometimes brushing naan and roti with it, either during preparation or just before serving.

Particularly the sattvic food prepared in most temples in Odisha has ghee as a major ingredient in its culinary tradition.

Ghee is used in South Indian cuisine for tempering curries and in the preparation of rice dishes and sweets.

North Indians also add ghee to rice before eating it with pickles, dal and curries.

Ghee is an ideal fat for deep frying because its smoke point (where its molecules begin to break down) is 250 °C (482 °F), which is well above typical cooking temperatures of around 200 °C (392 °F) and above that of most vegetable oils.

[12] The main flavour components of ghee are carbonyls, free fatty acids, lactones, and alcohols.

[23][better source needed] The British Dietetic Association, British Nutrition Foundation, National Health Service, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and World Health Organization advise people to limit ghee consumption due to its high saturated fat content.

To prevent the acceleration of the oxidation process, they should be protected from anything that causes it, such as UV rays from sunlight and fluorescent lights.