Healing Foods: Maca ghee
I've been making this ghee for sometime now, but can't seem to keep in on the counter long enough to photograph. As soon as I make it, the jar quickly gets used for everything from sautéing, making "bulletproof coffee" or slathering on something warm.
After returning home from 3 months in the Peruvian jungle and highlands, I realized how much maca, or Lepidium meyenii, had become apart of my daily rituals. Maca is an ancestral food of the people living in the High Andes in Peru and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. Traditionally, the cooked root is used a staple food, providing Andeans with minerals, essential fatty acids, proteins and amino acids - just to name some of its constituents.
My first time seeing the root was in a market in Cusco. I was surprised at how much its shape resembled its Mustard family relative, the beet. Though I never ate the raw root on its own, we did use a lot of maca powder in our food. Sprinkled in morning oats, added to hot water for a creamy drink, mixed into jungle cake batter, and even a few shakes on popcorn, if we wanted something slightly sweet and nutty, maca was our go-to.
Adding powdered herbs to a fat allows your body to assimilate them better. Ayurveda speaks of ghee as a vehicle, or anupana, that helps transport the herbs to the tissues needed. Ghee, or clarified butter, doesn't clog your liver unlike regular butter, and it actually strengthens your digestive fire. Having strong digestion means you can actually intake the nutrients of your food properly and eliminate what you don't need properly, too.
Not only is this ghee great for boosting energy and mood, it tastes so comforting. It has this nuttiness that is slightly sweet and really compliments anything I've tried it on so far.
Ingredients.
1 lb of unsalted organic butter 4 TBS of maca powder
Method.
In a small sauce pot, add the maca and toast on medium low until it begins to slightly darken and smell nutty. Keep stirring the maca with a wooden spoon so it doesn't get too toasted. When it starts getting aromatic add in your butter. Continue to heat on medium for about 15-20 minutes. During this time you will notice different phases of sounds and bumbles the butter will make. After the milk solids have fallen to the bottom of the pot with the maca and the bumbles have subsided, take off the heat and let the ghee cool off a bit. >>> For more instructions on the Sacred Ritual of making ghee visit our Full Moon Ghee post <<< Once its cool enough to the skin, strain into a mason jar with a good lid. *Cheese cloth works well or use a small metal strainer with a tight weave. You'll notice once the ghee cools completely, it will be slightly solid at room temperature and have a lovely caramel color.
{Photos: Ralph Giunta & Sarah Kate} _____________________________________________
We want to know your favorite ways to use healthy fats! Are you adding other herbs to your ghee or experimenting with different spice combinations? Tell us by leaving a comment below!