Butter is quite an important element in certain Indian foodstuffs. But what comes to your mind when we say butter? The white dollops that you relish on your parathas or the yellow coloured butter that you commonly apply on the bread? Well, if you are thinking of either of them, you aren’t wrong, because both these dairy products are termed as butter.

Some extra butter enhances the taste of particular dishes and so we have extra buttered recipes on restaurant menus.  When you call for a Butter Pav-bhaji, you will be served with the yellow butter. So one has an idea about which kind of butter will be served. Tastewise, you can distinctly differentiate between white butter which is commonly called Makhan or Makkhan and the yellow butter. But what is the actual difference between the two? Are they different or the same? Is it just a matter of translation? What’s The Difference Between Noodles and Chow Mein?

What is Butter?

Yellow processed Butter (Photo credits: Pixabay)

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream. It contains a lot of butterfat and is used as a condiment in food preparations. It also contains salt which adds a little more flavour to it. Butter is heavily used in baking and frying. It is one of the essentials of cooking and gives a rich taste to food.

Butter is made by fermenting raw milk. In the fermenting process, cultures are added to give the desired flavour. It is then churned to get that texture of ripened cream. After agitation of cream, butter granules are left. To maintain a longer shelf life, a lot of preservatives are added to the butter.

What is White butter or Makhan and How is it made?

White unprocessed butter (Photo credits: YouTube)

White butter is commonly called as Maakhan or Makkhan in India, a reference to it even exists in the mythology of Lord Krishna. Freshly-made white butter tastes yummy and serves as a perfect accompaniment to parathas or thailpeeth (popular Indian snacks) to the food item, it is made from milk cream too. However, the making process differs. Smoothies and Milkshakes are Not The Same, Know the Difference Between the Beverages.

To make white butter or maakhan, the thick layers of milk cream is used. It is called the malai and is collected for a few days to make enough butter. It is churned continuously and the water separates from the cream. The resultant butter is squeezed to remove whey from it and also maintain its soft texture. It is then refrigerate to solidify it. Most Indian households use a wooden ladle to churn out the white butter from the cream.

Difference Between White and Yellow Butter and Which is Better?

The main difference between white coloured maakhan and yellow coloured butter is the process of making. White butter is natural, unprocessed and thus healthier option to consume. White butter does not have trans-fats which are considered unhealthy. There is a lot of difference in the fat content of the two.

White butter has body benefits like it helps in weight loss, aids immunity, works better for your skin and also fights infections. It is an excellent source of lecithin, which helps in the metabolism of the body fats.

While we have seen the extensive difference between the two, the only confusion comes in because of the lack of a literal term for both these items. If you happen to Google makhan, the search results show up butter. But of course, there is a lot of difference between these two items called jointly as butter. We hope, this article helped you understand the difference between butter and makhan.

Is Butter and Makhan The Same?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2018 12:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).