The Ghee That Brought Sunday Mornings Back: My Story with OG Ghee

by Vidya Mohan

While most of my friends, on a Sunday morning, woke up to a plate of bacon 🥓 and stacked pancakes 🥞 for breakfast — my South Indian household looked a lot different! It was usually my sister and I coming home a little after 8:30AM (and always after dance class practice🥻) with the smell of homemade ghee wafting through the air. I was 14 then, and I didn't really care much to pay attention to that. But now at 31, I deeply miss those mornings.

I'd remember coming into the house from the garage door and smelling that scintillating, nutty aroma of Amma’s ghee — meanwhile she had already been up since 4AM, doing ten different things before most people even hit snooze. Indian mothers just operate on a different wavelength when it comes to getting things done. As I’d run straight to my room to change out of my sweaty dance clothes (and straight into pajamas — no shower, because by then I was starving), I could hear the clanking of the ladle against the irumbu satti (ie cast iron pot). That sound meant the ghee was almost done!

By the time I’d tossed my clothes into the hamper and washed up, I’d walk into the kitchen and see her pouring the very last drop of golden ghee into this small stainless-steel container — the one with the perfect cutout for the tiny spoon that always sat snug inside. And whatever was left stuck to the pot? That’s what she used immediately to make her famous sambar.

So while my friends dug into stacks of fluffy pancakes, bacon on the side, and a drizzle of maple syrup — my version of a perfect Sunday lunch was sambar rice, beans poriyal on the side, and a drizzle of fresh ghee on top. That was my childhood — warm, comforting, and endlessly nostalgic. 🥰

I think about those mornings a lot now, especially at 31, when I’ve found myself attempting to make ghee just like Amma did on those Sundays. From ages 24 to 30, I was knee-deep working as Law Clerk/Paralegal for Bay Street Lawyers, and honestly, I didn’t have the time or energy. I’d grab whatever ghee was at the grocery store: plastic jars… suspiciously white ghee… labels that said “milk fat” instead of “butter.”

I’d always wonder, Why doesn’t this taste — or look — anything like Amma’s?

But in the rush of adulthood, you shrug and move on.

Until one Sunday morning.

I decided — enough is enough — let’s make ghee. 💪🏼

I was video calling my mother the entire time, giving her a play-by-play while she yelled, “Don’t burn the butter! Reduce the flame! No, not yet!” Eventually, I poured my first batch of homemade ghee into a glass jam jar — the very jar I’d been reserving for months, the kind that anyone who collects glass jars knows you never use for just anything, because it feels too perfect to waste.

I remember leveling my eyes with the countertop, staring at the golden colour, feeling this quiet little spark of pride.

But then came the real question: How does it taste?

I was so nervous.

I scraped the pot with the tip of my pinky finger, tasted it… and immediately, that nutty, warm, familiar flavour hit me. It tasted like home!

Somewhere around mid-spring 2025, my friend Shriya (@missfoodieto) posted about OG Ghee on her Instagram story. I glanced at it and mentally filed it away, assuming it was probably the same as the others. But right around that time, I also came across an ad of Vresh (co-founder of OG Ghee) sitting in a chair practically yelling at me that the ghee I was buying wasn’t even made with butter — but with something called AMF. That’s when I really started to question things.

AMF? 🤨

Cue confusion. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cue curiosity. 🧐

Cue me spiraling into research mode — like I always do with my legal brain! 🧠

I did some digging (thanks to OG Ghee’s website and my own research) and learned that AMF — Anhydrous Milk Fat, essentially a concentrated butter or “butter oil” — is mass-produced and used in a lot of baking, dairy, and confectionery items. Instead of slowly caramelizing 100% butter like traditional ghee, it’s spun in a centrifuge.

Over time, I’ve noticed what happens with these so-called “ghee” jars from the store: you’ll see a layer of white on top and a neon-yellow layer at the bottom. And that’s when the smell becomes unbearable. It has this plastic-y odour that made both me and my partner immediately retract our hands to close the lids!

So I went on the OG Ghee website and I saw that co-founders Tom and Vresh source their butter from Ontario farmers and make their ghee the traditional way.

Ontario-sourced butter. ✅

Traditional methods. ✅

Flavoured ghee?! 🤨

I’ll admit—my South Asian brain was deeply suspicious. Herb & Garlic ghee? Chai Spiced ghee? Café Vanilla ghee?

..But I added the entire trio pack plus their Café Vanilla to cart anyway!

And that’s how the video for Episode 5 of Desi Girl Approved came to be — capturing my completely raw, first-time reactions to all four flavours. I’ll admit, behind the camera, I was super anxious. I really, really hoped I’d like it. After Episode 1, when I tried so hard to enjoy that blueberry star anise jam but the combo instantly gave me mandir incense vibes, I was worried I might have another “oh no” moment.

But to my absolute surprise… I loved it!

I was most skeptical about the herb & garlic ghee, but guess what? That’s the one I reach for the most. There is nothing like a hint of garlicky warmth melting into your morning toast alongside a hot cup of coffee. And the chai spiced ghee? I was right — you MUST put it on toasted raisin bread. It makes everything come together in one delicious bite.

But the moment that sealed it…was one tiny taste of their original ghee.

I was instantly transported back to my Amma’s kitchen. To those Sundays filled with sambar, steaming rice, and comfort. It tasted real. It tasted like what ghee is supposed to taste like - home!

The day after filming, I made toasted bagels for my partner and me. I slathered the original ghee onto his without saying a word. He was on his phone, fully distracted, but the second I set the plate down, he looked up and said, “Is that ghee?”

He immediately caught that nutty, scintillating aroma — the kind that transports every Desi/South Asian kid straight back into childhood.

He took one bite, and the expression on his face — I’ll never forget it.

“It tastes exactly like how ghee is made back home.”

A few months later, after posting my review and connecting with the brand on Instagram, I learned they were doing a trial launch at Costco. A South Asian-founded Canadian ghee brand making it to Costco shelves? I knew I had to show up.

On October 17th, at Costco West Vaughan, I met the whole OG Ghee family—Joey, Mackenzie, Tom, Kayla (Vresh's wife), and the tiniest team member, Vresh's daughter. And then I witnessed something I’ll never forget.

As soon as the product hit the shelves, Vresh FaceTimed his parents to show them.

As an immigrant kid myself, that moment hit hard.

You see your parents’ sacrifices.

Their quiet resilience.

Their years of hoping you build something better.

Watching that pride unfold in real time felt… sacred.

And it reminded me why Desi Girl Approved is more than a food review series.

It’s a bridge—connecting you to the unseen work, the late nights, the risks, the heartbreaks, and the beautiful full-circle moments behind each OG Ghee product.

After witnessing that moment, I knew I wanted to learn more about the heart behind OG Ghee. So I asked Vresh a few questions…

1. Why did you start OG Ghee?

I started OG Ghee because I couldn’t find the kind of ghee I grew up with. The stuff on shelves here just didn’t taste right — it was missing the depth and the caramelized flavour I was used to. So I started making it for myself. Then friends wanted jars, then their friends did, and at some point it was obvious there was a gap in the market for proper ghee made the traditional way. OG Ghee didn’t come from some big master plan — it was just me trying to get the real thing again, and realizing other people wanted it too.

2. How did you turn Tom, Joey & Mackenzie into GHEE lovers?

Honestly, it happened on its own. I wasn’t trying to convert anyone — I just gave them the rundown that ghee works for pretty much any kind of cooking, not just South Asian dishes. I told them how I use it at home — on rice, on toast, in coffee, basically anything warm — and they took it from there. Once they tasted the flavour and saw how versatile it is, “I’ll take a jar” pretty quickly became “I actually need this.”

What’s been the most interesting is seeing how differently each of them uses it. They all have their favourite kind, and they all cook or bake in their own style — Thomas going full gourmet, Joey putting it on popcorn nonstop, and Mackenzie experimenting with baking. Watching them fold ghee into their own routines has been the fun part.

3. How do you balance work and personal life?

I’m still figuring it out. But I know I need boundaries or everything just turns into work. So I block off parts of my day that I don’t negotiate with myself about — time with my daughter, time with my wife, walking the dog, cooking something real, getting outside. Basically, making sure I’m actually around for my family instead of just talking about balance. Investing in those relationships is what keeps everything else from falling apart.

And honestly, OG Ghee runs better when I’m not burnt out. Rest and stepping away help more than grinding nonstop. It’s not perfect, but I try to keep it in check.

4.It was incredibly wholesome for me to witness during your Costco launch on Oct 17th — seeing you, Vresh, immediately call your parents to show them. As someone with Tamil parents, I completely understand that feeling! How did that moment feel for you?

It was overwhelming in the best way. Seeing OG Ghee on Costco shelves felt huge, but sharing that moment with my parents is what made it real.

They’ve seen every step — the late nights, the early mornings, the doubts, the risks — and honestly, a lot of who I am and why I work the way I do comes from them. Calling them wasn’t a decision; it was instinct. Hearing their reaction, seeing their pride… it felt like things had come full circle. And in a South Asian household, that moment of “Appa, Amma, look — we did it” carries a tremendous weight.

5. If you went on a coffee date with your younger self, what advice would you give?

I’d probably tell him that nothing ever goes the way you expect, and that’s not a crisis — that’s the default. Good things take forever, bad things happen instantly, and most of the time you’ll be building the plane while flying it. Failing, fixing, and starting over aren’t motivational poster lines; they’re just the cost of doing anything worthwhile.

I’d also tell him to trust his gut more, and to get comfortable being his own toughest critic. Taking things personally isn’t a flaw — it just means you care. And honestly, caring “too much” is pretty much required if you’re trying to build something from nothing. Those ideas that feel too small or too personal? They usually end up being the ones that actually stick.