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.

Peanut Flaxseed Sweet (Moongphali Alsi Laddoo)

1 C unsalted, dry roasted or raw, dry peanuts
1/2 C flaxseed
1/2 C grated gud (indian unrefined sugar, or demerara sugar)

Roast the peanuts on low heat till browned.  Note that you will have to roast even the dry roasted peanuts from the store, for about 25 minutes.  Separately, roast the flaxseed, on low heat, for about 20 minutes, till the seeds start looking darker, shinier, and crackle a bit.  Mix the peanuts, flaxseed, and gud, while the peanuts and flaxseed are still warm, and grind well (I got the best results using the VitaMix).  Bind into small balls while the mix is still warm.  Makes about 18 laddoos.  A very healthy snack!

Note: For a variation, you can replace the peanuts with sesame seeds.  Roast the sesame seeds well (till light brown).