5-min Desi Makhan (Cultured Butter)

Nothing beats a taste of a fresh homemade white makhan/butter. In India, fresh homemade makhan is always prepared from the cream or malai collected from boiled milk.
My mother keeps collecting fresh cream or malai at home from boiled milk then store collected cream in the refrigerator or freezer. After she has collected 2 or 3 cups of cream, then she easily convert it into butter and also get buttermilk. And Ghee is prepared from Makhan.
I know for some people making butter at home sounds cumbersome. But trust me it is not. Making butter at home is very simple and does not take much of your time. Thanks to electronic mixers or food processors:-)
You will need a food processor or a hand blender or stand mixer to make butter at home.
Below is the video instructions to prepare Makhan.

Desi White Makhan

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 2 cups
Author: Bhavna

Ingredients

  • 16 oz 473ml Malai Cream
  • 1 tbsp Plain Yogurt
  • Ice cold water

Instructions

  • To make butter at home you need 2 or 3 cups of cream. You can buy ready made full cream from the grocery store. Or else you can use cream from the milk that you use everyday. However, this fresh cream or malai from the milk has to be collected everyday for 10-15 days. You could also collect it for a month.
  • Remember to store this collected cream in the freezer. This cream is collected everyday and stored in a container in the freezer.
  • After you have collected 2 or 3 cups of cream, then you can easily convert it into butter. Defrost the cream. You can defrost it in microwave or keep it out till it comes to room temperature.
  • If you decide to cultivate the cream, add 1 tbsp of whipped yogurt (Dahi) and add into the cream mixing in one direction. Remember butter can be made without cultivating cream as well. You can see my other recipe. But to enhance the flavor, chefs would use cultivated cream.
  • In a mixer jar, or in a food processor add the cream. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of ice cold water. It is recommended to add water in the beginning but I add water once the cream is slightly thick. Turn on the mixer or food processor.
  • Initially, the cream will begun to smoothen and you will get smooth whipped cream. Continue the mixer, until you see buttermilk and the thick butter getting separated. You will see lumps of butter floating in the buttermilk or whey as I call it.
  • The beautiful homemade white butter is ready. With a spoon or spatula collect the white butter in an air-tight container and store the butter in the refrigerator. Flavors can be added to this butter as well such as salt, garlic, herbs and so on.
  • You could also strain the butter from the buttermilk through a fine strainer. Some people use hands to completely squeeze out the buttermilk from the butter and then store it. I do not press or squeeze the butter with hands as I find that too untidy. Keep the butter in the refrigerator.

Notes

This Butter can also be used in making biscuits and cakes. If you are not on any calorie control diet, then you can also use the butter in dals, vegetables etc. You could also use this fresh butter to make ghee (clarified butter) at home.
I often use this freshly made butter to make Paneer Butter Masala, Dal Makhani, Rajma Masala, Paneer Makhani, Paneer makhanwala, Veg Makhanwala, Paneer tikka masala, Kadai Paneer, Tawa Paneer Masala and Pav Bhaji.
And yes….. i also apply the makhan on bread just to get the simple bliss of having bread butter with tea or coffee. My most simple and beautiful breakfast.