The Art of Traditional Pink Butter Making

I love to make pink butter like my grandmother and my Mom used to make, even though it takes soooo much time, makes a mess, and seems expensive! Usually I use my electrical churner. But I tried it in real traditional way...

Making traditional pink butter is a deeply rewarding culinary journey, a cherished memory of my grandmother and mother who passed this unique technique down through generations. While this process can be time-consuming, messy, and potentially expensive, the result is a divine, uniquely flavoured butter that carries a taste of nostalgia and pairs wonderfully with chapattis, bread, khichri, biryani, or pulao. In case you want to try it out...then precede as fallows... To begin this process, you first need to prepare the base. Start by simmering raw milk on a low heat for at least two hours, or until it starts to develop a light pink hue. This slow cooking step is essential for the butter's distinct colour and flavour. Once the milk has achieved its tint, remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool until it is hand-warm.

Next, you need to set the milk into curd, or yogurt. Add one tablespoon of existing yogurt culture to each liter of the warm, pinkish milk and stir it in well. (If you regularly use a clay or terracotta pot for setting curd, you might not need an additional culture). Cover the mixture and leave it in a warm place for about five hours, or until it has set into a firm curd. Once the curd is ready, ensure it is at room temperature before you begin the churning. Transfer the set curd to a large bowl or your stand mixer/churner container. Start beating the curd at the highest speed using a hand mixer, stand mixer, or a traditional hand churner. The mixture will go through a whipped stage first, gradually thickening and becoming increasingly pinkish as you continue.You will begin to think it looks like butter before it is butter. …Don’t give it up!

Patience is a key ingredient here; it will look like butter before it actually is. Keep beating, making sure to periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl with a wooden spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Then, fairly suddenly, the mixture will "fall," which means the lovely pinkish butter will separate from the liquid buttermilk. The final product is a truly special, traditionally made pink butter. ...........I love it. It taste divine toooo make it and enjoy with chapattis/bread/khichri/biryani/pulavIt is a labour of love that connects me to my family's heritage, and the unparalleled taste makes all the effort worthwhile. Enjoy the fruits of your labour with your favourite dishes. Bone apatite!