Add A Decadent Twist To Mashed Potatoes With Ghee

From home kitchens and casual diners to fancy restaurants, it's not difficult to find a trusty side dish of delicious mashed potatoes. After all, we're talking about a mealtime staple that has stolen hearts for generations. Much like most classic dishes, you probably already have a set-in-stone way of making it — but how about adding a small switch-up that could make all the difference?

In the case of mashed potatoes, simply substituting butter with ghee can give the dish a luscious texture and deeply enriched flavor. Cooking with ghee, a type of clarified butter with a toasted, nutty taste and caramel-like aroma, first originated in India. When added to mashed potatoes, ghee infuses them with those captivating flavor notes, bringing an unexpected complexity to their usual mild nature. Texture-wise, ghee is incredibly soft and creamy. It blends seamlessly into mashed potatoes, creating a velvety smooth consistency that melts like a dream onto your taste buds. Additionally, ghee is relatively low in lactose and casein (a milk protein), which makes it a more suitable choice than butter for those who are lactose-intolerant.

A ghee to butter substitution follows a 1-to-1 ratio so you won't need to adjust your usual recipe amounts. Keep in mind that at room temperature, ghee is pretty solid, so if you want to blend it into the mashed potatoes with ease, consider softening it in the microwave for about 30 seconds first.

There are, of course, myriad ways to get creative when working with ghee and potatoes. If you like a bit of heat, adding some grated ginger, ground turmeric, and other robust spices to your mashed tatties should do the trick. Moreover, with a high smoke point of around 465 degrees Fahrenheit, ghee can adapt to a great variety of recipes. You don't always have to stick to the same old boil-and-smash technique. Try roasting your potatoes with ghee, garlic, and some herbs for a beautiful collision of flavor and fragrance. You can serve them as they are, or semi-smash them, for a new take on the classic side. Want something extra creamy? Bake chopped potatoes with ghee, coconut milk, and cheese for a truly decadent, golden treat of a side dish.