What Is Bilona Ghee? How It's Made and How It Differs from Regular Ghee
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Bilona ghee is ghee made by setting whole milk into curd, churning the curd with a wooden churner (the bilona) to separate the butter, and then slowly heating that butter until it turns into ghee. Most ghee sold in shops is made more quickly, by heating cream or butter separated directly from milk. The bilona method is older, slower and more labour-intensive, and it gives ghee a distinct aroma and a grainy (danedar) texture.
How bilona ghee is made, step by step
- Boil the milk. Fresh whole milk is boiled and allowed to cool.
- Set it into curd. A little curd is added and the milk is left to set, usually overnight.
- Churn the curd. The curd is churned with a wooden bilona, moving back and forth, until butter (makkhan) floats to the top and buttermilk (chaas) is left behind.
- Collect the makkhan. The butter is lifted out and gathered over several batches.
- Heat it slowly. The makkhan is heated on a low flame. Water evaporates, the milk solids settle and turn golden-brown, and the clear fat becomes ghee.
- Strain and cool. The ghee is strained and left to cool slowly, which is what forms its grains.
Bilona ghee vs regular ghee
| Bilona ghee | Regular (cream-based) ghee | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Curd churned into makkhan | Cream or butter separated from milk |
| Process | Hand or slow churning, then low-flame heating | Usually machine-separated and heated faster |
| Aroma | Slightly tangy, nutty, like homemade ghee | Milder |
| Texture | Often grainy (danedar) | Often smoother |
| By-product | Buttermilk (chaas) | Skimmed milk |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
Why does bilona ghee cost more?
Ghee is almost pure milk fat, and cow's milk is only about 4–5% fat. That means one litre of ghee needs roughly 20–30 litres of milk, whichever method is used. The bilona method adds cost on top of that: the milk has to be set into curd, churned in small batches, and heated slowly, and some fat stays behind in the buttermilk. When the milk comes from indigenous breeds such as the Gir cow, which give less milk per day than crossbred cows, the cost rises further.
What does "A2" mean on bilona ghee?
"A2" refers to a type of protein (A2 beta-casein) in the milk of indigenous Indian breeds such as the Gir cow. Ghee itself is almost entirely fat and contains only traces of protein, so on ghee the A2 label describes the milk it was made from rather than something you'll find in the jar. In August 2024, India's food regulator FSSAI briefly advised against A1/A2 labels on milk-fat products and then withdrew that advice for further consultation. Our A2 Gir Cow Bilona Ghee is labelled this way because it is made from the milk of Gir cows.
Why is my bilona ghee grainy?
A grainy, or danedar, texture forms when ghee cools slowly and its fats set into small crystals. It's normal for slow-cooked ghee and isn't a sign that it has spoiled. Ghee can be liquid on a hot day and set on a cool one; both are fine.
How to use bilona ghee
- A spoonful on hot rice, dal or khichdi
- Spread on rotis, parathas and bhakri
- For tadka, where its aroma really shows
- In sweets such as sheera, laddoo and halwa
How to store bilona ghee
- Keep the jar closed, in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Always use a clean, dry spoon; water is what makes ghee go off.
- No need to refrigerate.
Try Kishan Kriti bilona ghee
Kishan Kriti is based in Amreli, Gujarat, in the Saurashtra region that is home to the Gir cow. Our ghee is made the bilona way, from curd-churned butter, and comes in 500 ml and 1 litre jars with cash on delivery across India. Shop A2 Gir Cow Bilona Ghee or read more about us.