isachandra ([info]isachandra) wrote,
@ 2006-12-11 15:04:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Vegan ghee - in your face haters
I always come across doubters saying that Indian restaurants who say they use vegan ghee are lying. Now, a world where waiters just go around lying willy nilly is scary enough but that same world without vegan ghee is ever scarier. But last week I found it, the last piece in the puzzle of veganism. In a little Indian grocery on 1st avenue between 5th and 6th streets, shelves and shelves of vegan ghee! It's essentially palm and soybeans oil and 2.2 pounds cost 5.75, so it might be a good alternative for earth balance in your baking. Here is the photographic evidence:

vegan ghee

After doing some research (googling once) I found that Dalda is a Unilever brand, and I try to avoid anything that Chumbawumba has written songs against, but oh well. Here's the lyrics in case you don't want a bunch of pop up adds.

When you don't want to feed the world
When you just want to feed your bank balance
Wash your guilt away:
UNILEVER WASHES WHITER!
Soap to clean those dirty hands
And a slap for the people who work the land
Unilever
Man-made hunger
Soap in our eyes
John West is the Best!
Old soap opera
No soap reality
Legal slave trade
Domestos kills all known truths dead
Soap to wash the darkest stain
Profit covers up the pain
Of a slow, deliberate genocide
And all the dirt you want to hide
Take the black and wash it whiter
Brooke Bond Oxo
Blue Band, Bird's Eye
Lifebuoy, Sunsilk
Persil washes Whiter!
We make whitewash
We sell whitewash
Consume whitewash
Consumed by whitewash
Somewhere in this cycle there's me and you
What are we prepared to do?



(Post a new comment)


[info]nobodyhere
2006-12-11 07:07 pm UTC (link)
All the vegan ghee I've ever seen is hydrogenated. Was the one you saw?

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]isachandra
2006-12-11 07:28 pm UTC (link)
I don't think so, but I'm not positive. Palm oil is solid at room temp so I figure it wouldn't need to be.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]suthrncan
2006-12-11 07:43 pm UTC (link)
I have some of that!! It isn't very expensive either!

(Reply to this)


[info]adriftinthefog
2006-12-11 08:20 pm UTC (link)
I heard that most ghee in restaurants is vegetable, simply because it's cheaper.

(Reply to this)

Ayurveda geek question
[info]quietgrrrl
2006-12-11 08:44 pm UTC (link)
Does vegan ghee carry the same medicinal effects traditional ghee is purported to?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Ayurveda geek question
[info]shiromaguro
2006-12-11 09:03 pm UTC (link)
doubtful. it's a completely different compound.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Ayurveda geek question
[info]quietgrrrl
2006-12-12 12:47 am UTC (link)
Yeah, I didn't think so either.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]shiromaguro
2006-12-11 09:03 pm UTC (link)
nice! but isn't palm oil toxic, or something like that?

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]ladywhisp
2006-12-11 10:37 pm UTC (link)
yeah, I was going to ask similar, isn't it supposed to be bad for you health in some way?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]isachandra
2006-12-12 03:14 am UTC (link)
Yes, I'm pretty sure it will kill you.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


(Anonymous)
2006-12-12 03:30 am UTC (link)
no, its just a naturally saturated fat, which is worse than an unsaturated one, but not chemically altered like a hydrogenated one.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Palm oil problems
[info]purpletigron
2006-12-12 10:34 am UTC (link)
Palm oil 'farms' cause forest to be turned into plantations. The original forests are often vital to the livelihoods of local people, and are home to threatened species such as orangutans.

"... the Indonesian government could develop up to three million hectares of oil palm plantations on the island of Borneo, threatening wildlife and local livelihoods to cater for international demand for cheap palm oil."

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/demand_for_palm_oil_trigge_12042006.html

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Palm oil problems
[info]isachandra
2006-12-13 12:13 am UTC (link)
Right, toxic to the orangutans, not to humans.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Whose got problems?
(Anonymous)
2006-12-14 08:57 pm UTC (link)
Does anyone get the feeling that Earth itself is toxic to humans? Like anything that grows here we eventually die from the effects of. By the way, people who love orangutans, please show love to this human next time you see me acting like an orangutan. And I'm taking tomorrow off work - do you think Chumbawumba will cover my shift while I spend the day rocking out? (slave traders? goddess forbid!!)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Palm oil problems
(Anonymous)
2007-02-01 03:16 pm UTC (link)
"Right, toxic to the orangutans, not to humans."

I found this blog when I discovered the PPK site is down. I own two of your cookbooks, too. However, I didn't expect such a seemingly callous attitude about the devastating effects of palm farms on endangered species and the environment. Is that what you intended to convey with that comment? Maybe you should do a little more research on the subject http://www.savetheorangutan.co.uk/?page_id=5) before you determine that what's toxic to orangutans is not also toxic to humans.

s.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]minus_one
2006-12-12 04:05 am UTC (link)
yeah why is it that indian restaurants carry some sort of automatic stigma when it comes to ghee!? i've been places where no ghee is (supposedly) used and no one believes me!

(Reply to this)


[info]watersusurrus
2006-12-12 08:13 am UTC (link)
The title to this post totally just made my day!

(Reply to this)

Unilever
(Anonymous)
2006-12-12 12:23 pm UTC (link)
My issue is with Unilever. Glad you posted that info! I avoid anything made by them I knew they were on the list of animal-testing companies. Too bad you find a product that's "vegan" only to find out...not so much. I just bought your cookbook, Isa, and I love it, btw!

(Reply to this)


[info]obsoletescanner
2006-12-12 05:37 pm UTC (link)
um, that stuff is *so* not vegan!!

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]isachandra
2006-12-13 12:12 am UTC (link)
You aren't!

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)


[info]obsoletescanner
2006-12-13 04:16 pm UTC (link)
huh? yes i am. but id never trust a unilever product! non-vegan by proxy :-0

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]drew_blood
2006-12-13 03:18 am UTC (link)
Holy crap. Something I got in Amarillo, TX before the the Brooklyn Vegans??? Something is amiss.

(Reply to this)

palm oil and chumbawamba
(Anonymous)
2006-12-21 07:13 am UTC (link)
Yeah palm oil is deffo vegan - I'm not sure about the eco effects of it - I've a jar in my cupboard thats been sitting there because Ive used it once and that was enough to convince me I would be contributing to my own death if I ate this more than once in a lifetime! But hey its in peanut butter
incidentally - I work for an ex member of chumbawamba and they arranged a big lunch recently to thank staff for their hardwork this year and this was definately not vegan - I went on a political rant about not having my diversty valued - so I guess even chumbawamba are'nt immune to the mainstream!

(Reply to this)

ghee
(Anonymous)
2006-12-24 06:39 pm UTC (link)
Ghee whiz. Who knew? This is happy news. I am now on an official quest.

Urban Vegan
urbanvegan.blogspot.com

(Reply to this)

Ghee vs. Earth Balance in cooking
(Anonymous)
2006-12-25 10:04 pm UTC (link)
I don't think ghee would replace earth balance in cooking. Ghee is essentially clarified butter, which is just butter with all the protein, however minute, and water removed. Ghee, like clarified butter, is then pure fat, mostly saturated. If anything, I think you could use ghee instead of shortening for pie crusts, etc.
Any word on the trans fat in this product?

(Reply to this)


[info]onferriswheels
2006-12-28 01:31 am UTC (link)
hah, okay, i'm a fellow vegan and i've been reading your journal forever. and vegan with a vengeance and vegan cupcakes take over the world are godsends, so thank you for that. and post punk kitchen.

you're awesome.

possibly add me as a friend? ♥

(Reply to this)

Vegan ghee??
(Anonymous)
2007-01-22 05:53 am UTC (link)
I doubt if vegan ghee is as healthy as real ghee, which has plenty of healing properties according to Ayurveda. Dalda ghee - in all likelihood - is processed using all kinds of chemicals, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is hydrogenated. Yuck. I'd prefer real ghee made from organic butter, thank you. Glad I'm not a vegan ;)
-Amit

(Reply to this)

Vegan, Yes... Healthy? Nope! Tasty? Nope!
(Anonymous)
2007-02-07 04:22 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for the show and the books Isa! I love them, but I'm disappointed by this post :(

I'm originally from India, my mom used Dalda (and variants) occasionally in her cooking when I was young. However, when I learned enough chemistry/biology to understand what it actually was, I swore her off it forever... If I remember correctly, these things are a mixture of fully hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Not the best things for your arteries.

I'd much rather eat real ghee, which is also mostly sat. fat, but at least it has a great flavor - think 'toasted' butter*. Dalda, on the other hand, has no taste at all, and feels totally like eating wax when it's cooled down... yuk!

*While I'm at it, a few suggestions about ghee: if you make ghee from butter yourself, it'll have a much better taste and texture than anything you can buy from international market - Ghee degrades somewhat in transport due to temperature fluctuations and vibrations, acquiring a waxy texture, and sometimes a off/musty smell.

Ghee at wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee
and a recipe** (heh) - http://www.food-india.com/ingredients/i001_i025/i007.htm

** recipe tips:
1) start experimenting ghee making with one stick of butter
2) use a non-nonstick pan - all that fat may extract pthalates from the plastic coating (this is my own hypothesis, I'm not aware of any scientific studies about this)
3) ghee is done when it stops boiling and gets a coat of fine foam with tiny brown flecks on top. You can also sprinkle few drops of water in it, which should produce sharp cracking sounds as the water evaporates violently (don't worry, it won't splatter.. too much... ;)
4) The dark brown residue has an awesome nutty-toasty flavor, and makes for an excellent sweet-treat when mixed with suger (or Jaggery-bits http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaggery)

I realize that all this might well be moot, given that this is a vegan site, and most people here won't use butter anyway, but still.. hopefully it will benefit anyone who wants to give real ghee a shot.

(Reply to this)

Dalda is hydrogenated
(Anonymous)
2007-03-22 12:17 am UTC (link)
Think Crisco, but with even more transfats. Dalda is not a good alternative for folks who are at all health conscious since transfats, nutritionally, have been shown to have a worst impact on heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, strokes, and other healthy problems than animal fats. I have been vegan for over two years now, and I wouldn't go near this stuff, so I eat Indian food only at friends' houses, who use regular vegetable oil. Chumbawumba was right about Unilever, their marketing has convinced an entire generation of Indians that this stuff is healthier because it is plant based, and that's just plain wrong.

(Reply to this)

Herbal Ghee!!!
(Anonymous)
2007-03-30 11:36 am UTC (link)
Scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) have recently developed Herbal Ghee. The new products have the taste, flavor, color and consistency of traditional ghee. But, instead of being hazardous ghee, this form of ghee boosts the immune system and guards against cholesterol related problems and is beneficial for people suffering from cardio-vascular diseases and blood pressure. It also strengthens the arteries.

The younger generation is crazy about their fitness throughout and even elderly people are also not ready to accept their ageing realities, all want to look young and vibrant forever without taking medicine. The solution lies in functional foods that provide medication rejuvenating vital component through foods.

People have now accepted the philosophy “Prevention is better than cure” well in their day-to-day life.

Here’s the best news. The new healthy herbal ghee launched by Punjab Sind will not only retain the taste, flavor, color and consistency of traditional ghee but also boost the immune system, guard against cholesterol-related problems. So get ready to dig into ghee – and not feel guilty about it!

Punjab Sind Pvt Ltd is the first company to launch this Herbal Ghee in market and is now available at its retail outlets at various malls, shopping centers and its own shops all over Mumbai.

Punjab Sind lines of products were specifically launched to provide consumers with a wide choice of natural food supplements, vitamins and herbal products. The site www.punjabsind.com offers a range of product information etc for the health conscious consumer.

If you'd like more information about this topic email gurupreet@gmail.com, call +91-9867004477, or visit www.punjabsind.com

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2007-04-06 06:33 pm UTC (link)
Well, as long as the ghee can be used to fry me up a good steak, I don't really care whether it's vegan or not.

(Reply to this)


Create an Account
Forgot your login?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…