Ghee (Clarified Butter)

1 lb unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
3-4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Heat a heavy bottomed pan, and add all the ingredients.  Cook the butter on low heat for about 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally.  During this time, the cream will gather on the top as a white froth.  Then slowly, the cream will cook.  You know the ghee is ready when the liquid is transparent, and the cream is cooked (the froth is gone, and what used to be cream is brown particles at the base of the pan).  Place a paper towel inside a sieve, and filter the ghee while it is warm.  The resulting ghee should not contain any brown particles.  Cool and store in a glass or steel container.  It does not need to be refrigerated, and lasts a long time (several months).

Note: the spices listed above are optional, they just give the ghee a nice aroma.  You can replace them with any whole spices that you like, or not use any.