Curd-Churned or Cream-Separated: The Two Ways Ghee Is Made

Ghee is made through one of two primary processes: either by culturing whole milk into yogurt and churning it into butter (the curd-churned method), or by mechanically separating raw cream directly from milk and simmering it (the cream-separated method).

How Does the Curd-Churned Bilona Process Work?

The curd-churned method is the traditional Indian technique practiced for generations in rural households. Whole milk from indigenous Gir cows is boiled, cooled, and inoculated with curd culture. As the milk ferments overnight, natural enzymes break down lactose into lactic acid. The whole curd is then churned bidirectionally with a wooden bilona. Soft butter floats to the top, leaving behind fresh buttermilk (chhas). The gathered butter is slowly clarified over low heat, allowing water to evaporate and milk solids to brown gently at the bottom of the pan before being strained out.

What Is the Industrial Cream-Separation Method?

The cream-separation method was developed for large-scale industrial dairy processing to maximize efficiency. In this modern setup, fresh milk passes through a high-speed mechanical centrifuge that instantly splits raw cream from skimmed milk. The separated cream is gathered and immediately heated to high temperatures to evaporate moisture and turn the fat into liquid ghee. This bypasses the overnight fermentation step entirely, saving time and labor while producing large uniform quantities of clarified fat.

Gau Seva

Our cows are not use and throw

A cow that stops giving milk is still our cow. She stays on the farm, with the same feed, the same shed and the same medical care she had when she was milking. We do not sell her on and we do not let her go. That is the whole basis of the ghee we make — you cannot ask an animal for her milk and then abandon her for it.

Our mission goes further than our own herd. There are cows on the street who are injured every day, who eat plastic, who cry through the night with nobody coming. We want to take them in. The plan is a chain of Organic Farmz gaushalas in several places, so that help is not one shed in one city but something a hurt animal can actually reach.

This takes more than we can carry alone — land, fodder, vets, hands. Come and join our initiative. Anything you give goes to feed, treat and shelter these cows.

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How Do These Two Making Methods Compare?

While both methods result in clarified butterfat, their preparation steps yield very different culinary characteristics in the final product.

Which Method Fits Traditional Indian Cooking Needs?

For daily Indian kitchen dishes like khichdi, phulkas, dal tadka, and festive halwa, curd-churned bilona ghee brings a depth of flavor that cream-separated ghee simply cannot match. The subtle acidity from fermentation balances the richness of the fat, making it a soothing addition to everyday meals while staying faithful to traditional culinary practices.