In many Indian homes, the day starts with a teaspoon of ghee stirred into a cup of warm water, drunk before breakfast. It is a habit passed down in families and often linked with Ayurvedic tradition, and it is one of the most searched-for ways of taking ghee.
This guide explains how people take it, the warm milk version that many grew up with at bedtime, and what we can and cannot honestly say about it.
Where the habit comes from
Ghee has a special place in Indian food and ritual. It is used in temple lamps and offerings, it is the first thing put on a baby's food, and in Ayurveda it is a common base for preparations. Taking a spoon of ghee on its own, or with warm water or warm milk, grew out of that tradition. Many families describe it as a gentle way to start or end the day.
We describe this as a tradition, and nothing more. The claims made for it online go well beyond what good studies have shown, and we come back to that below.
How to take ghee with warm water
- Warm a cup of water, about 200 to 250 ml, until it is comfortably hot to sip, not boiling.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of ghee. It will melt at once.
- Drink it slowly, stirring as you go, because ghee floats on water.
- Most people take it in the morning, before breakfast. Wait a little before tea or coffee.
Some families add a pinch of turmeric, a little grated ginger, or a squeeze of lemon. Others take the ghee straight off the spoon and follow it with the warm water. There is no single right way; it is a household habit, and households differ.
“One teaspoon, warm water, sipped slowly. It is a habit, not a prescription.”
Ghee in warm milk
The other version, older in many homes, is a spoon of ghee in a glass of warm milk at bedtime. It is often made with a pinch of haldi, turmeric, and sometimes black pepper, cardamom, saffron or a little jaggery, a version of what is called haldi doodh or golden milk.
- Warm a glass of milk, about 200 ml, without letting it boil over.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of ghee and, if you like, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of black pepper.
- Add a little jaggery or honey to taste once it has cooled slightly.
- Drink it warm.
If you use turmeric, a good one matters as much as good ghee. Ghee and milk both carry turmeric's colour and aroma well, because its flavour compounds dissolve in fat.
Which ghee to use
When ghee is the main thing in the cup, its quality is easy to taste. Look for a single ingredient, cow milk fat or cow ghee, a batch number and a best-before date. Bilona ghee, made from cultured butter, has a nuttier, slightly tangy aroma that many people prefer on its own. Our guide to the best ghee in India has a full label checklist, and our guide to what A2 ghee is explains what A2 does and does not mean.
What we can honestly say about benefits
Search for ghee with warm water and you will find long lists of claimed benefits. Most of these come from tradition or personal experience rather than good studies in people. We do not repeat them, and we are not in a position to make them.
What we can say is plain. A teaspoon of ghee, about 5 grams, is about 45 kcal of fat. Many people find a warm drink with a little fat in it a comfortable way to start the day. And as with any daily habit, the amount matters: a teaspoon is a very different thing from several tablespoons.
Side effects and who should check first
Ghee is a food, but it is a concentrated fat, and taking it every day adds up. Speak to your doctor before making it a habit if you have been told to limit fat or saturated fat, have any medical condition, are expecting a baby, or are giving it to a child. Some people also find that fat on an empty stomach does not agree with them; if so, take it with food or skip it.
Questions people ask about ghee with warm water
- How do I take ghee with warm water?
- Stir 1 teaspoon of ghee into a cup of warm, not boiling, water and sip it slowly, stirring as you go. Most people take it in the morning before breakfast.
- How much ghee should I take in warm water?
- One teaspoon, about 5 grams, is the usual amount. It adds about 45 kcal. If you want to take more, or take it daily, ask your doctor first if you have any medical condition.
- Is it better with warm water or warm milk?
- They are two different traditions. Ghee in warm water is usually taken in the morning; ghee in warm milk, often with turmeric, is a common bedtime drink. Choose the one you enjoy.
- What are the benefits of ghee with warm water?
- It is a long-standing household tradition, and many people find it a comfortable start to the day. The bigger claims you will see online are not well supported by studies in people, so we do not make them. Talk to a doctor if you are taking it for any reason other than habit and taste.
- Are there side effects of ghee with warm water?
- Ghee is a concentrated fat. Taken in large amounts every day, it adds calories and saturated fat. Anyone with a medical condition, or who has been advised to limit fat, should check with their doctor first.
Our ghee
nira kitchen's A2 Gir cow bilona ghee is made in the Gir region of Gujarat from the milk of grass-fed Gir cows. A partner dairy sets whole milk into cultured curd, hand-churns it with a wooden bilona and slow-cooks the butter in small batches. Nothing is added. Its aroma comes from butter churned out of cultured curd, which is easy to taste when ghee is the only thing in the cup. The current price and batch are on the product page.