45 min.

A lot of the old issues of Back to Godhead magazine have recipes and cooking tips in them. But they’re usually for something simple like yoghurt with fruit. Or the recipe calls for tons of butter and sugar which we now know is not ideal at every meal. But this recipe looks interesting enough to try. And it makes a decent quantity so it would be great to make for a gathering or family event soon.

(I edited the instructions just a little because they were very brief.)

From Back to Godhead, No. 21, 1968

A while back I shared a recipe for Lush Lemon Raspberry Bars with you all. The recipe I will share today is inspired by that recipe, which I tweaked for a totally different flavour. I was inspired by a British dessert, Millionaires Shortbread which consists of a layer of shortbread, a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate.

I was at a potluck dinner a few years ago, and my friend Chandra brought some brownies. Growing up as a Hare Krishna on an eggless diet, all the brownies I ever had were more like cake than the chewy chocolaty goodness that was described to me by my mother when she recalled her childhood encounters with brownies. I have to admit I was skeptical as to Chandra’s brownie’s authenticity, as I had long ago given up on ever finding an eggless chewy brownie recipe.

This pie is very easy to make, unless of course you are making the filo from scratch instead of just buying it pre-rolled from the store. Also, you could double the amount of spinach in the pie and omit the corn, or substitute tofu for paneer. This recipe is quite versatile, but if you do play around with it, make sure the filling is not overly wet or you may end up with soggy filo, and no one wants that.

Give me a potato paratha with some mango pickle and yoghurt and I am a happy woman. Pretty much any type of paratha--and believe me there are many types--can bring a smile to my face. The crunch of toasted bread with the yummy, soft, spicy, center is too good for me to resist.

Carrot halava is a popular dessert dish served at ISKCON temples around the world on ekadasi days. Some people love it, and some are not fond of it at all. Try it out and see if you like this unusual variation on a favorite dish.

It's not your average halava, which is made mostly of farina, but it is a traditional Punjabi style called 'gaajar ka halava'. This particular recipe might be from Kurma, or possibly Yamuna Devi (we would like to know), but there are many variations.

A refreshing drink from Kurma’s cookbook, "Great Vegetarian Dishes"

I first tried this recipe about one year ago and now find myself making it at least once a month! It is quick and easy with a wonderful flavor and a beautiful appearance. You can alter the vegetables as needed and increase the coconut milk to change the consistency of the dish.