Halvah

Milk, 2-1/2 Gallons
Butter, 6-1/2 Pounds
Farina, 15 Cups
Sugar, 15 Cups
Pecans, 5 Cups
Raisins, 5 Cups
Orange Peel, zest or chopped, 3 Oranges

Put 2 ½ gallons milk on to boil at high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. In a big wok melt 4 lb. butter (have 2 ½ lb. more butter unwrapped nearby). When butter melted, add 15 cups farina and mix in. Let sit at high heat till browned, then stir, being careful not to burn. When browning too fast to keep up with, turn down heat a bit. When milk comes to a boil turn it to a rolling boil that does not boil over, and let it boil for 10 minutes or so, then add 15 cups sugar, stirring until dissolved over high heat. Bring boiling back to rolling boil.

While the farina is getting golden brown, toast 5 cups of pecans fully brown, and zest or chop the peel from 3 oranges. Add 5 cups raisins to the boiling milk and add the pecans to the farina. Not more than 5 minutes later, add the remaining butter to the grains. When the butter is melted, add the orange peel to the milk, stir for 5 seconds and then start adding the grains to the milk. Bring to boil, stirring thoroughly. Then turn off heat and stir till thick. When cooled, scoop out and use to shape Govardhan's foundation.

Vegetable Pate

Sunflower Seeds, 2 Cups
Whole wheat flour, 1 Cup
Wheat Germ, 1 Cup
Potato, grated raw, 2 Large
Tofu, firm, 1 package
Celery, chopped fine, 1-1/2 Cups
Butter, 2 Sticks
Lemon juice, 4 Tablespoons
Thyme, dry, 2 Teaspoons
Basil, dry, 2 Teaspoons
Salt, To taste
Black pepper, To taste
Asofoetida, 1 Teaspoon
Buttermilk, 2 Tablespoons
Walnuts, chopped, 1-1/2 Cup
Soy Sauce, 2 Tablespoons
Olive Oil, 2 Teaspoons

Mix the tofu, walnuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and buttermilk in a blender and pulse until somewhat smooth (but not liquefied). Add all remaining ingredients to this mixture. Press into a buttered glass baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. When cooled, scoop out and use to shape Govardhan's foundation.

Cow Cake

Oats, combined with any of the following:, 1 part
Rye Grass or Vetch, 2 parts
Alfalfa Hay, 1 part
Corn, cracked, 1/2 part
Soybeans, 1/2 part
Salt, light taste
Molasses

Mix together almost any combination of the above ingredients (or anything else a cow likes to eat, for that matter). Go light with the salt, and add just enough molasses to moisten the mixture to a crumbly bulk. Before feeding this to cows not directly under your care, please check with the cowherd to be sure it's agreeable with whatever else his cows are currently being fed or medicated with.

Fried Chenna Balls

Chenna, 1 Pound
Milk for chenna, 1 Gallon
Lemon juice for chenna, ½ Cup
Cumin, ground roasted, 2 Teaspoons
Sweet potato, red, 1 Large
Raisins, mashed, 1/4 Cup
Red Pepper flakes, 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander powder, 1-1/2 Teaspoon
Lime juice, 1 Lime
Ghee, For frying

Make the chenna. Drain and press with medium weight. Knead out the chenna threads by hand or with a rolling pin. Mix the ground roasted cumin into the chenna. Mix all the remaining ingredients into a paste. Make 1” to 2” balls out of the chenna. Flat a ball with your palms. Take a bit of the stuffing and place in the middle, sealing the chenna edges over and around to completely seal in the mixture. Use only as much stuff as you can without the chenna ball cracking open. Fry the balls in ghee and drain. Offered warm or at room temperature, these makes wonderful rocks for Govardhan.

Fragrant Rice Balls

Basmati rice, 2 Cups
Water, 3 Cups Coconut cream, 1 Cup
Sesame seeds, toasted, 3 Tablespoons
Ginger, ground, 1-1/2 Teaspoons
Methi leaves, fresh, A handful. Finely chopped

Make Basmati rice the usual way, replacing 1 cup of the water with the cup of Coconut cream. (For a less rich version, use regular coconut milk). Toast the sesame seeds until they're several shades darker. When the rice is cooked, immediately mix in all the other ingredients. When cool enough to handle, shape the rice into 2” balls. These hold nicely at room temperature, for dipping into Dal, Curry or sauces. If fresh Methi leaves aren't available, substitute any fresh, finely chopped herbs.

Pakoras

Cauliflower, 2 medium heads
Brussel Sprouts, 2 Cups
Besan (chickpea) flour, 1 Cup
Whole wheat or white flour, 2 Cups
Tamarind paste, 2 Tablespoon
Cayenne, 1 Teaspoon
Yoghurt or Buttermilk, 1 Cup
Water, 2 Cups
Methi leaves, dried and crushed, Small handful
Turmeric, 1/2 Tablespoon
Coriander, 1 Tablespoon
Kalongi seeds, 1 Tablespoon
Salt, to taste

Break the cauliflower down into medium-sized florets and lightly steam. Cook until they're about ½ cooked - soft enough to penetrate a stem with fork, but only half the usual doneness of regular steamed cauliflower. Steam the brussel sprouts (separately), also until they're just about ½ to ¾ cooked through.

Mix together the flours and all the wet and dry ingredients and blend together. Heat an adequate amount of ghee in a wok or deep pan. Thoroughly coat enough of the steamed cauliflower florets to make a first fry batch. Turning often and carefully, fry at medium high heat until they're golden-brown on the outside. Keep ghee temperature low enough so you can fry properly on the outside, but keep them in the oil long enough so they batter inside cooks well. Remove with slotted spoon and place on a screen or other draining apparatus.

Channa Dal in Coconut Pots

Channa dal, split, 2 Cups
Water, 12 Cups
Olive oil, 3 Tablespoons
Turmeric, 1 Teaspoon
Ginger, ground, 1/2 Teaspoon
Caynne powder, 1/4 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds, red, 2 Teaspoons
Cumin, roasted ground, 2 Teaspoons
Asofoetida, 1/2 Teaspoon
Jaggery, 4 Tablespoons
Coconut, shredded, 3 Tablespoons
Lemon juice, 1 to 2 Tablespoons
Salt, To taste
Coconut pots, halved, Count as needed

Put channa dal in water along with turmeric, ginger, cayenne and olive oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and put lid tightly on pot. Cook on medium heat for approximately 2 hours. During last half hour, stir periodically to be sure you don't stick or burn. Let the dal thicken slightly more than normal, but don't let it become pasty. Make a chaunce and heat the mustard seeds until they splutter, then add the remaining spice and dry ingredients. Add to the channa dal, along with lemon juice and salt. Serve in small, halved coconuts that have been heated in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. These coconut dishes hold heat really nicely, and keep the dal just about room temperature at a nice consistency. With a sharp knife, make a little slice to give it a flatter bottom. Place the bowls here and there on Govardhan Hill, or surround the base of the hill with them. Add a small pat of butter to the top of each pot before setting out.

Red Pumpkin Poori

Whole wheat flour, 2 Cups
Pumpkin, skinned, boiled, mashed, 1 Cup
Jaggery, 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom powder, 1/4 Teaspoon
Ghee, 2 Tablespoons
Ghee, For frying

Mix all the ingredients and form into a dough. Roll the dough out somewhat thicker than a plain poori. Fry in ghee, like usual poori.

Sandesa

Paneer, 3/4 Pound
Milk for paneer, 3 Quarts
Lemon juice for paneer, 1/3 Cup
Sugar, 3/4 Cup
Raisins, A Handful
Cardamom, crushed, 2 Pods

Ground the paneer to a fine paste by breaking down with a rolling pin, then rubbing out remaining threads with the heel of your hand. Do not add water. Mix the sugar into the paneer paste, then place the mixture into a heavy bottom pot. Stir gently but continuously over medium heat. When the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan, remove and add the cardamom, mixing in well. Roll in balls, flatten the top, and press raisins (or other fruit or nuts) into the top for decoration. Should the paneer mixture become overly granular after cooking, put it in a food process and blend, then roll and shape.

Rasagulla

Milk for Paneer, 1 Gallon
Lemon juice for paneer, 1 Cup
Sugar, 1 Cup

Make the chenna in the usual way. When whey and curd have fully separated, pour through cheesecloth then let chenna drain in the colander without weight for an hour to two. When curd is cool, place in a food processor for about a minute until soft but not sticky. Form into small balls. Bring sugar to boil in 3 Cups water until sugar fully dissolves into syrup. Put about half the balls in the water. Cover tightly and return to a moderate boil for about 8 to10 minutes, until rasgullas have increased in size. Remove gently with a slotted spoon, then place the next batch in boiling water. Once finished, put the rasagullas in a cardamom cream sauce, sweetened yoghurt, or other sauce base.

Laddu

Semolina (Rava), 2 Cups
Sugar, 2 Cups
Ghee, 3/4 Cup
Whole cardamoms, powdered, 6
Cashew nut pieces, 4 Tablespoon
Raisins, 3 Tablespoons

Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan, then add the Semolina and roast until golden brown. Remove from pan, mix with sugar and cardamom, and blend or grind into a fine powder. Heat the remaining ghee and sauté the nuts and raisins until golden. Mix well with the semolina/sugar mixture. Roll into small balls. Keep in airtight container in a cool spot. When using to build Govardhan, add these near the end of construction, shortly before offering arotika.

Blueberry Sweet Rice

Milk, 6 Cups
Basmasti Rice, 1/4 Cup
Sugar, 1/2 Cup
Blueberries, fresh pureed, 1/4 Cup
Cardamom or camphor, To taste

Bring the milk and rice to a boil in a heavy bottom pot, boiling over medium heat until the milk cooks down with the rice to a creamy mixture. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until desired consistency is reached. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the pureed blueberries (make sure all stems are removed from fruit). Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Place in small cups to represent the Kundas on Govardhan Hill, or build water-tight ‘waterways' around the Hill, filled with the sweet bluish mixture.

Marzipan

Sugar, 3 Cups
Almonds, blanched and ground, 4 Cups

Add the sugar to 1 Cup of water in a saucepan and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the almonds and cook until the pasty batter stops sticking to the pan. Remove from heat and place onto a marble slap, wooden board or sheet pan. While still warm, knead first with a wooden spatula until it cools, and then by hand until the marzipan paste is smooth. You can make it softer by adding small amounts of syrup to the paste, or make it stiffer by adding powdered sugar.

Cauliflower-Avocado Shrubs

Cauliflower, 1 Medium
Avocados, 2
Lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon

Cut the cauliflower up into florets in a range of sizes to make a variety of Govardhan shrubs and bushes. Try to keep a sturdy piece of stem on each floret. Blanche the cauliflower until about half cooked, so it's firm enough to hold it shape. Mash the avocados up in a bowl, adding the lemon juice to keep it from discoloring a lot. You can add any spicing you like to the avocado mixture. Place the cauliflower where you like on Govadhan, pushing the stem firmly down into the Hill's base. When all the florets are in place, and the Hill is nearly ready for offering, use a small spatula to spread a bit of the avocado mixture on top of each piece.

Damayanti's Sweetballs

Anise, ground, 1-1/2 Teaspoons
Coriander, ground, 2 Teaspoons
Jaggery, 1/4 Cup
Khas Khas (tiny white poppy seed), 1 Teaspoon
Ghee, 1 Teaspoon

Heat the ghee at medium heat, add the jaggery and stir till it's mostly melted down. Add the anise and coriander, and stir constantly as the mixture cooks. When the jaggery just starts to thicken, add the khas khas. Continue cooking till the mixture pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside till the mixture cools enough to handle (but don't let it cool too much!). As soon as you can work it, roll the mixture into small balls, then press down to shape them like small rocks, flat stones or pebbles.

Pandan Coconut Grass

Coconut, fine shredded, 1 Cup Pandan extract, As needed

Mix the Pandan extract (the syrupy type works best) into the coconut to get the desired green coloration. If you'd like to make grass of varying shades of green, which gives a nice visual effect, do the grass in batches, adding more or less pandan to the coconut. You can also toast some of the coconut a few shades brown, let it cool, then add a bit of pandan. Once colored with the pandan, spread all the coconut out on a cooking pan for 20 minutes, so moisture will evaporate before using the grass on Govardhan Hill.

Fried Boondi Sticks

Besan (chickpea) flour, 1/2 Cup
Spices, To Taste
Ghee, For frying

Add water to the besan flour and mix until you get a medium thick batter, about like pancake batter. Add whatever spicing you like: coriander, asofoetida, ginger and cayenne work well. If you'd like a more savoury texture, replace half the water with yoghurt. Heat the ghee in a wok or wide pan. Put spoonfuls of the batter in a colander or other utensil with holes, and force through to drop into the ghee. Test the consistency until you get it so that the batter holds enough to give you a fairly long (inch or more) length of batter dropping into the oil. The longer the better, for use as fence posts, sticks or trunks on Govardhan. Keep the pieces separated in the oil, and cut loose any that have stuck together after you've taken out to drain.