Ghee is butter taken one stage past clarification — simmered until its water boils away and the milk solids sink and toast to golden brown, then strained to a clear, deep-gold liquid that sets to a soft, grainy cream as it cools. The browned solids leave behind a nutty, caramel-toasted aroma, and the result is nearly pure butterfat: shelf-stable without refrigeration, almost free of lactose and casein, and the foundational cooking fat of South Asia.