Loni aka Makkhan in 10 minutes!

Let us start by understanding, how one makes Loni (makkhan or white butter) in India..

You start with whole milk (buffalo milk). As we tend to buy milk fresh or in packets in India, we have to first start by boiling it. Once the milk is boiled, we allow it to cool down and then we place it in the fridge to be used as and when required. Once the milk cools down, the cream gets collected right on the top. You skim this cream out and place it in a covered clean container. You repeat these steps every time you get milk home, till a good quantity of cream is collected. 

Then starts the butter making process. You take out the thick collected cream and start whisking or churning it. In India, traditionally, we do it with a ladle called "Ravi" in Marathi which has a flower like end that assists in churning. We keep churning this cream till all the butter separates from the buttermilk. Almost 25 to 30 mins worth of churning. Phew! Then we wash this butter with a little water, so it does not have a milky smell to it. And....we are done!

Getting back to wherever I am from, collecting cream off fresh buffalo milk...A STRETCH!

But not having 'loni' with my bhakris and thalipeeth, saddened me !

That got me thinking, even if I can't collect cream, we do get cream in tetra packs in the stores! I started my blog surfing to check if anyone has had this amazing idea! and I realized.... many of them had!
So what if I wasn't the only one with brilliant ideas, better late than never.

So I decided to go on a really short and quick journey of 'Loni' making. 

It is so ridiculously simple and you can make it whenever and as much as you desire!

Now there are certain things you should know before we get started on this 10 minute journey.

I have found from messy personal experiences that food processor is the best gadget to make 'Loni'. 

That does not in any way mean, you can't make it any other way. 

The worrisome part is at the end, when the buttermilk starts separating from the butter. There is a lot of splashing here. So if you don't have a food processor, get a tall bowl and then whip the cream, so in the end you can catch most of the buttermilk splashing all around. Though this step sounds messy, it takes place only for 2 minutes in the end. 

Also, when you use the food processor, it is ideal to use churning blades. I don't have a high-tech processor. So I used the only blade (chopping) I had and there was no problem. So don't go hunting for fancy accessories.

Level: Easy

Serves: Makes 1.25 cups

Ingredients:

1 medium pack of heavy whipping cream

3 tblsp ice cold water

Method:

Step 1 - Put the ingredients in a food processor or in a large tall bowl in which you plan to whisk the cream. Start whisking the cream.

What happens next: The cream will start getting thicker and thicker...

and then: It will be thick enough to resemble whipped cream. 

and then: It will be really thick and you may start finding it weird to keep whipping the cream as nothing seems to be moving around. But do continue.

and then: then slowly in about 5 - 7 mins, you will see the butter clumping together into thick white butter and the buttermilk will start separating and splashing around. Now go ahead and dunk in your finger. Get all excited about it....now you need to whisk just for 1 more minute.

Step 2 : Pour the ice cold water and whisk the butter again for 15 - 20 seconds to just wash the milky smell off the butter. Drain out the water and place the fresh butter in a plate.

Step 3: Start pressing the butter with a fork. This will make it release some more butter milk. Tilt the plate and  drain out the excess water. This process will make the butter harder. So do not over do this step, if you want your butter soft. 

We are done!

Ever wondered how butter making was invented?? Why would our ancestors suddenly decide they want to churn cream and see what happens?

Something I read on the internet, sounds like a feasible explanation.

Butter was probably first created accidentally when whole milk carried in skin bags was carried by horseback and naturally 'churned' while travelling over rough terrain.

The first documented mention of butter making was in the sacred songs of the dwellers of Asiatic India, dating back to 1,500 - 2,000 BC. There is a historical mention of ancient tribes creating primitive churns by horizontally agitating the cow, yak and horse milk. Butter back then was not only eaten, but used as in illumination oil, for medical purposes and also as skin coating to insulate the tribe members from the harsh winter cold. 

Next step is making clarified butter aka ghee from this butter!

Source: http://www.webexhibits.org/butter/countries-india.html