Murrah Buffalo — Black Gold of Haryana

Pratapgarh Farms keeps the Murrah buffalo, the black buffalo of Haryana that the state calls its black gold, in the cattle yard beside the Vedic Gau Gram. Guests meet them at the rail, churn butter from the herd’s milk at the wooden bilona, and the ghee from that milk is sold as Pratapgarh Pure.

The breed is Haryana’s own, and it is the milk and the ghee that earned it the name. This is what the Murrah is, what the farm does with its milk, and what a day with the buffaloes holds.

The Murrah Buffaloes At The Vedic Gau Gram

The Vedic Gau Gram is the farm’s own cow village. Guests feed the desi cows and the Sahiwal cows by hand, holding out gur and roti, and the Murrah buffaloes stand at the rail in the cattle yard beside them.

A few steps away, the milk becomes makhan and ghee the slow way, and guests do it themselves. The curd goes into the wooden bilona, the bilona is turned by hand, the makhan comes out, and it is simmered into ghee. The activity is called Making Ghee and Butter from Milk. Chacch is poured into kulhads at the same stop.

The dairy’s work shows up on the table all day: white makhan with the stuffed paranthas at breakfast, desi ghee on the Makee Bajre ki roti at the Sara Din counter, Chacch in kulhads, and Kadhai doodh with the jalebi in the afternoon.

The G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group spent 4 March 2023 at the farm, and the G20 delegation met the Murrah buffaloes, worked the bilona and drank Chacch in kulhads on the same ground.

The Murrah Buffalo: A Heritage Breed With A Global Reputation

Majestic, jet black and strong, the Murrah buffalo is the backbone of countless farming families in Haryana, and the source of some of the richest milk in the world.

The breed originates in the districts of Rohtak, Hisar and Jhajjar in Haryana, and it is known worldwide for its milk yield and quality. It has been exported to Italy, Brazil and Egypt, where dairy experts regard it as the most superior milch buffalo breed on the planet.

What makes it special is the density and richness of its milk as much as the quantity. Murrah buffalo milk is known for its high fat content, 7 to 8 per cent, which gives it the creaminess and thickness that no other breed matches.

Murrah Buffalo Milk — A Nutritional Powerhouse

Murrah buffalo milk is whiter, thicker and richer than cow’s milk. It is a natural source of high-quality fat, almost double that of cow’s milk, along with protein, calcium, and vitamins A, D, E and K.

That composition is why the milk converts so well into ghee, paneer and curd, and why Murrah buffalo milk is the preferred choice for traditional ghee-making across North India.

Murrah Buffalo Ghee — Golden, Grainy, And Grounded In Tradition

Churned and simmered the traditional way, Murrah buffalo milk produces ghee that is naturally rich, creamy and golden. It is denser than cow ghee, with a nutty aroma and a granular texture.

At Pratapgarh Farms the ghee is made from curd rather than cream. The milk is set to curd, churned in a wooden bilona into makhan, and simmered slowly into ghee. With the fat content that high, the curd sets thick and the ghee comes out denser than the cow ghee. About 30 litres of cow’s milk go into a kilo of the cow ghee, and the farm’s own lab tests the milk on 13 parameters before production begins.

From The Heart Of Haryana To Your Kitchen

Pratapgarh Pure makes its ghee from the fresh, high-fat milk of Murrah buffaloes raised on natural farms in Haryana. Every batch is slow-churned from cultured curd rather than cream, simmered gently in small batches, and free from preservatives, adulteration and shortcuts.

Pratapgarh Pure sells three jars in one litre, and delivers them anywhere in India in one to three days: Bilona Cow Ghee, A2 Bilona Cow Ghee from the farm’s own Sahiwal, Hariana and Gir herd, and Murrah Buffalo Ghee. The Pratapgarh Pure guide to buffalo ghee goes through the ghee in detail, and the Murrah Buffalo Ghee jar is on the product page.

A Day With The Buffaloes

Pratapgarh Farms has been a farm tourism destination in Haryana since 2008, and the gates open at 09:30 and close at 17:30, all seven days. Breakfast runs 09:30 to 12:00 and lunch 13:30 to 15:30, both unlimited, and the 150+ activities are open through the day. The cattle yard, the Vedic Gau Gram and the bilona sit inside the same 35 acres, so the buffaloes are a stop on the day rather than a separate trip. The day fits inside 09:30 to 17:30 with room for the dairy, the fields and the yards, and the animal farm, the playing fields and the adventure course are on the same ticket.

The family day out sets out the whole day. Call or WhatsApp +91 9999964266 or write to picnic@pratapgarhfarms.com with your date and headcount.