Traditional Bilona

Six Slow Steps to Pure Ghee

Our method is built on cultured curd, hand churning and patient heat. This is why the aroma, grain and taste feel different.

The Method

From Milk to Golden Ghee

Every batch follows the same six steps our elders used. Machines can move faster, but speed cannot build the flavour that fermentation, churning and slow cooking create.

Sourcing Milk

Milk from Desi Cows and Murrah Buffaloes

The process begins before sunrise with animals that are fed naturally, allowed to graze and handled by people they recognise. Our cow ghee uses milk from desi Indian breeds associated with A2 milk, while our buffalo ghee uses rich Murrah buffalo milk from Haryana. Calves drink first because animal care is not separate from food quality. Fresh milk is collected in clean vessels and moved quickly to the kitchen area so the flavour remains sweet, clean and farm-fresh.

Boiling and Cooling

Gentle Heat, Natural Rest

Fresh milk is boiled to make it safe, stable and ready for culturing. We do not rush this stage with harsh industrial heating. The milk is warmed carefully, watched closely and then allowed to cool naturally until it reaches the right temperature for curd setting. This slow cooling matters because the next step depends on live culture. If milk is too hot, the culture weakens; if it is too cold, the curd does not set with the body required for proper churning.

Curd Culture

Milk Becomes Thick Curd Overnight

A spoonful of previous curd culture is added to the cooled milk, just as it has been done in village homes for generations. The milk rests overnight and slowly ferments into curd. This is one of the biggest differences between real bilona ghee and cream-made industrial ghee. Fermentation develops depth, digestibility and a rounded aroma. By morning, the curd is thick, gently sour and ready to release butter through churning.

Wooden Bilona

Hand Churning in the Old Rhythm

The set curd is churned with a wooden bilona until butter begins to separate. This is slow, physical and almost meditative work. The wooden churning rod moves through the curd repeatedly, bringing fat globules together without aggressive mechanical force. The rhythm, temperature and thickness of curd all affect the result. We prefer this method because it respects the cultured curd and creates makhan with a texture and aroma that machine extraction cannot match.

Butter Extraction

Fresh Makhan is Separated and Washed

As churning continues, white butter rises and gathers at the surface. This makhan is lifted by hand, washed gently and collected for cooking. The remaining buttermilk is not wasted; it is used at home and on the farm. Freshly churned butter has a clean dairy sweetness and a soft cultured aroma. At this stage, the quality of the future ghee is already visible. Good butter melts evenly, smells fresh and carries the richness of the original milk.

Slow Cooking

Butter Turns into Clear, Aromatic Ghee

The butter is cooked slowly until water evaporates, milk solids settle and the fat becomes clear, fragrant ghee. This is the most watchful step. Too little heat leaves moisture behind; too much heat burns the solids and spoils the aroma. We rely on colour, sound, smell and experience. When the ghee becomes luminous and nutty, it is filtered, rested and packed in glass jars. The grainy texture appears naturally as it cools.

Why Bilona?

Bilona vs Machine-Made Ghee

The difference is not only emotional. It changes the starting ingredient, flavour development, texture and batch accountability.

Factor	Sheoran Farms Bilona	Machine-Made Ghee
Starting point	Cultured curd made from fresh milk	Often cream separated directly from milk
Churning	Wooden bilona, small batches, human supervision	High-speed mechanical processing
Flavour	Nutty, rounded, naturally aromatic	Uniform, often flat or artificially scented
Texture	Natural grain and seasonal variation	Smooth, standardised and industrial
Accountability	Made and packed by one family farm	Made through large supply chains

Smell

Real bilona ghee has a gentle roasted, nutty aroma that blooms when warmed.

Grain

Crystals form naturally when slow-cooked ghee cools and rests in the jar.

Season

Colour can shift slightly with fodder and weather. That is a sign of living food.