Open any premium ghee website in India and the photography is almost always the same. Golden jars. Warm amber colour. Sunshine through glass. Golden ghee has become the visual shorthand for premium, traditional, authentic.
So when a jar of Murrah buffalo ghee arrives - pale, ivory, almost white - many buyers think something has gone wrong. They search "why is my buffalo ghee white?" They wonder if they received the wrong product or a diluted one.
Nothing has gone wrong. The white colour is the first thing this article needs to explain, because once you understand it, everything about buffalo ghee makes sense. And once you understand what buffalo ghee actually is - where it comes from, how it is made, what it tastes like and what Indian cooking has used it for across generations - the question changes from "is something wrong with this ghee?" to "why did I not know about this sooner?"
Murrah buffalo - India's native high-fat dairy breed
Naturally pale ivory to white - correct colour for pure buffalo ghee
7 to 8 percent fat - higher than most cow breeds
The traditional North Indian choice for halwa and festive cooking
Made in Meerut by Shahji Foods since 1957
Why Buffalo Ghee Is White - And Why That Is Correct?
The golden colour of cow ghee comes from beta-carotene - a natural yellow pigment. Cows convert the carotenoids from the grass and fodder they eat into beta-carotene, which passes into the milk fat. When cow milk is made into ghee, the beta-carotene travels with the fat and gives the finished ghee its warm golden colour. The deeper the colour, the higher the beta-carotene content in the milk.
Buffalo milk contains no beta-carotene. Not even a small amount. Buffaloes process carotenoids differently from cows and do not convert them into beta-carotene in their milk. The result is that pure buffalo ghee is naturally pale ivory to white.
This is biology, not a quality difference. White buffalo ghee and golden cow ghee are both natural, correct colours for their respective products. Neither is better or more pure because of its colour.
There is actually a useful verification built into this. If a ghee is labelled as buffalo ghee but looks golden or yellow, that is a signal worth paying attention to. Pure Murrah buffalo bilona ghee should not be golden. If it is, cow milk is likely present - intentionally blended in or the sourcing is mixed.
"In Meerut dairy households, white ghee has always meant buffalo ghee. It was not a compromise or a substitute - it was the ghee you made halwa in, the ghee you used for Diwali sweets, the ghee the dairy family kept for the occasions that mattered most."
Shahji Foods · Meerut · Est. 1957
The Murrah Buffalo - India's Native High-Fat Dairy Breed
The Murrah buffalo is a native Indian breed originating from the Haryana and Punjab region. It is the world's highest milk-yielding buffalo breed and is recognised enough that it has been exported to Brazil, Italy and other countries for dairy farming.
For ghee making, the most important characteristic of the Murrah is its milk fat content - 7 to 8 percent butterfat, significantly higher than most Indian cow breeds. To put that in perspective, Gir cow milk averages 4.5 to 5.5 percent fat and Sahiwal cow milk averages 5 to 7 percent. Murrah buffalo milk sits at the top of that range and beyond.
Higher fat in the milk means more fat extracted per litre during the bilona process. This has two practical consequences. First, Murrah buffalo ghee is denser and richer than cow ghee - the higher fat base carries flavour and aroma more intensely. Second, genuine bilona buffalo ghee can be produced at a slightly lower cost per kilogram than cow bilona ghee, because the same volume of milk yields more fat. This is why Shahji buffalo ghee is priced from Rs. 720 for 500ml - genuinely lower than the cow ghee varieties, for honest reasons.
Origin
Haryana and Punjab belt - Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani, Meerut region. Native to the same geography where Shahji has made ghee since 1957.
Milk fat content
7 to 8 percent butterfat - the highest of any breed in the Shahji range. This high fat content is what makes Murrah buffalo ghee richer and bolder than cow ghee varieties.
A2 breed
The Murrah buffalo is a native Indian A2 breed. Buffalo milk naturally carries A2 protein - the same A2 classification that applies to indigenous desi cow breeds in India.
How Shahji Murrah Buffalo Bilona Ghee Is Made
The bilona process for Murrah buffalo ghee is identical to the process used for cow ghee - the same three-day method Shahji has followed since 1957. What changes is the milk and what it produces at each stage.
Fresh buffalo milk set into curd
Fresh Murrah buffalo milk is boiled, cooled and a spoon of live curd from the previous batch is stirred in. The vessel is covered and left overnight. Over 8 to 12 hours, the milk naturally ferments into thick curd. Buffalo curd sets denser than cow curd because of the higher fat content - when you tilt the vessel the next morning, the curd should barely move.
Curd churned into white butter
The dense buffalo curd is churned at low speed with the wooden bilona. Because of the higher fat content in Murrah milk, the white butter that rises from buffalo curd is noticeably thicker and richer than cow butter from the same volume of milk. The chaach (buttermilk) left behind is thinner and less fatty. The white butter is collected and washed clean.
White butter slow-cooked into ghee
The washed white butter goes onto low flame in a heavy-bottomed vessel. It melts into a thick, creamy liquid - noticeably denser than cow butter melting. The milk solids settle and slowly turn from white to a pale gold-brown at the bottom. When the ghee above is completely clear and the solids are the right colour, the batch is done. The ghee is strained and cooled slowly at room temperature.
Pale ivory ghee, dense and rich
Cooled Murrah buffalo bilona ghee is pale ivory to white. In cool temperatures it develops a dense, creamy solid texture because of the high fat content. The aroma is bold and characteristically rich - the smell that Meerut dairy families associate with ghee used for Diwali mithai and winter halwa.
What Murrah Buffalo Ghee Actually Tastes and Smells Like
Buffalo ghee has a flavour personality that is different from cow ghee - bolder, richer, more present. Once you understand what to expect, it is immediately recognisable.
Colour
Pale ivory to white. In summer, it is more liquid and almost clear. In winter, it solidifies into a dense, creamy white solid. Both are correct - temperature determines whether it is liquid or solid, not quality.
Texture when cool
Dense and creamy when solid - like set cream rather than crystallised grains. The high fat content of Murrah milk produces a ghee that solidifies differently from cow ghee, with a smoother, denser white solid rather than the more granular texture of cow bilona ghee.
Aroma
Bold and distinctive - more forward and intense than cow ghee. Open a jar of Shahji Murrah buffalo bilona ghee and the smell fills the room. It is the aroma that anyone who grew up in a North Indian household with a home dairy will immediately recognise as the smell of "the real one." Heat it for tadka and the kitchen changes within seconds.
Flavour
Rich, full, characteristic. Buffalo ghee does not sit quietly in the background of a dish - it is present. In halwa, the ghee flavour is a central part of the dessert, not a supporting fat. In pinni and ladoo, it creates a creamier, denser texture. For everyday cooking, it adds a richness that is more pronounced than lighter cow ghee varieties.
The Meerut Dairy Tradition - Why Buffalo Ghee Was Always the Choice
Meerut is in western Uttar Pradesh, deep in the Gangetic plain dairy belt. The city has been a centre of dairy culture for centuries - its proximity to the buffalo-farming heartland of Haryana means Murrah buffaloes have always been part of how dairy families here worked.
When Shahji Foods' founder Late Shri Arjun Das Ahuja - Shahji - started making ghee in Meerut in 1957, buffalo ghee was the default. Not because cow ghee was unavailable, but because the Meerut household kitchen had specific uses in mind. The halwa made for winter. The pinni prepared for new mothers. The besan ladoo for Diwali. The ghee for these occasions needed to be rich enough to make the dish what it was supposed to be.
Buffalo ghee at 7 to 8 percent fat delivers that richness in a way that lighter cow ghee varieties do not have - not because cow ghee is inferior, but because different dishes need different fats. This is culinary knowledge accumulated over generations, not a marketing angle invented recently.
When customers from Meerut and the wider western UP belt order Shahji buffalo ghee today, they are often buying the same product their families used for these same occasions decades ago. The jar looks different now. The ghee inside is the same.
Where Murrah Buffalo Ghee Performs Best
Murrah buffalo ghee works for all Indian cooking - it has a smoke point of approximately 250 degrees Celsius and is stable at normal cooking temperatures. But there are specific dishes and cooking moments where its higher fat and bolder flavour make a genuine and noticeable difference.
Halwa - Suji, Gajar, Moong Dal
Most Noticeable Here
This is where Murrah buffalo ghee has been irreplaceable in North Indian cooking for generations. Suji halwa made in buffalo ghee has a creamier, denser texture and a richer flavour than the same halwa made with cow ghee or oil. The semolina absorbs the high-fat ghee differently - each grain gets coated more completely. Gajar halwa in winter with Shahji buffalo ghee produces a dish that has a characteristic depth and richness that lighter fats simply cannot replicate. If you have ever eaten gajar halwa at a Meerut wedding and wondered what made it different, this is the answer.
Diwali Sweets - Pinni, Besan Ladoo, Burfi
Most Noticeable Here
Pinni - the winter sweet made from whole wheat flour, ghee, sugar, and dry fruits - is one of the oldest recipes in North Indian households and one that specifically requires buffalo ghee to be right. The higher fat creates a binding quality and a richness in the texture that lighter ghee cannot match. Besan ladoo made in buffalo ghee holds together better and has a denser, more satisfying bite. For Diwali preparation, Meerut dairy families have traditionally kept buffalo ghee specifically for the mithai-making occasion.
Dal Tadka and Sabzi
Excellent
A tadka in buffalo ghee fills the kitchen with a more intense, more distinctly dairy aroma than cow ghee produces. The cumin seeds, mustard, dried chilli and curry leaves release into a richer fat base and the result is a tadka that rich smells and tastes. For everyday dal and sabzi, buffalo ghee works beautifully. The flavour is more present than in lighter cow ghee, which some families prefer for daily cooking and others find better suited to special occasions. Both are valid preferences.
Roti and Paratha
Works Beautifully
A smear of buffalo ghee on a hot roti gives a richer, more pronounced flavour than cow ghee. For parathas, the higher fat creates a satisfying crispness. Some families prefer the lighter flavour of cow ghee on roti for everyday meals - buffalo ghee on roti is more of a statement. Both work well, and the preference is personal.
Rice and Khichdi
Works Beautifully
A teaspoon of buffalo ghee in rice or khichdi adds richness and a more pronounced flavour. The higher fat means the ghee integrates into the grain with a creamier quality. Many buyers find a smaller quantity of buffalo ghee per meal gives the same satisfying result as a larger quantity of lighter ghee - the richness goes further.
Buffalo Ghee vs Cow Ghee - Which Should You Buy?
| Murrah Buffalo | Gir Cow | Sahiwal Cow | |
|
Colour
|
Pale ivory to white
|
Light golden
|
Warm amber
|
|
Fat content
|
7 to 8% - highest
|
4.5 to 5.5%
|
5 to 7%
|
|
Flavour
|
Bold, rich, distinctive
|
Delicate, balanced
|
Fuller, more pronounced
|
|
Best for
|
Halwa, festive cooking, sweets
|
All-purpose, everyday
|
Tadka, halwa, roti, daily cooking
|
|
Price
|
From Rs.900/500ml
|
From Rs.1,600/500ml
|
From Rs. 1200/500ml |
Choose Murrah Buffalo Ghee if:
- You make halwa, pinni or ladoo regularly and want the ghee that North Indian sweet-making has always used.
- You want a bold, rich ghee flavour that is central to the dish rather than a background element
- You cook for a household that prefers the traditional Meerut dairy flavour profile
- You want the most economical genuine bilona ghee in the Shahji range
- You are specifically looking for a product distinct from cow ghee varieties
What to Check When Your Jar Arrives
Three quick checks before you put the jar in your kitchen cupboard.
01
The colour should be pale ivory to white - not golden
This is the most immediate and reliable verification for buffalo ghee. Pure Murrah buffalo bilona ghee is pale. If what arrives is golden or yellow, it contains cow milk or added colouring and is not what it claims to be. White is correct. Pale ivory is correct. Golden is not buffalo ghee.
02
The texture in cool weather should be dense and creamy
In winter or cool room conditions, genuine Murrah buffalo bilona ghee solidifies into a dense, creamy white solid. It does not become hard and waxy like some commercial ghee products. It should feel rich when a small amount is pressed between fingers. Very smooth, uniformly white with a plasticky texture suggests chemical processing rather than the bilona method.
03
The aroma should be bold when heated
Heat a teaspoon of Shahji buffalo ghee in a dry pan. Within 20 to 30 seconds, the kitchen should fill with a bold, rich, deeply dairy aroma - more intense and more distinctive than cow ghee. If the smell is flat, neutral, or thin, something in the milk source or the process does not match what genuine bilona buffalo ghee should produce.