Divine morsels

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While going for a holy retreat to Vrindavan and devouring the bhog, have you ever wondered how the kadhi tastes simply divine! The pakodas are soft, fluffy and melt in your mouth. “I have decided to name it Krishna-worthy kadhi, because the taste is so amazing that it is worthy of the Lord himself,” says Arun Budhiraja, co-author, Bhog: The Temple food of India, a coffee table book on the heritage cuisine from the Hindu and Sikh temples of India. In the unique compilation, Arun was assisted by his wife, Geeta Budhiraja.

“I was exasperated at the junk that today’s youngsters eat and call food! I wanted to go back to the most pure, healthy and delicious form of food, that our ancestors prepared keeping the weather, body system and locally available, seasonal products in mind. The food at the temples is just that,” smiles Arun.
Divided neatly into eight praharas (Hindus divide the day into praharas making each prahar equivalent to three hours, starting from 5am), the book gives recipes of various food items served at the temples in each prahara. According to ancestors, one should begin the day (mangla prahar) with intake of something sweet and end the day with a dish, that has a lot of black pepper.
“Sugar needs to time to get digested and thus, should get the full day. Black pepper aids digestion and should be used in large amounts in the day’s last meal,” explains Arun. Makhan mishri (fresh white butter with a sprinkling of sugar) is served in north-Indian temples early morning and Nei Payasam (rice pudding with jaggery and ghee) in the south Indian temples.
Temple food is highly exotic, says Arun.“We try and go in to the best eateries for soufflés. Daulat ki chaat served in north-Indian temples is world’s best soufflé. Pop a spoonful of the milky froth and it just disappears in the mouth. Or how about a Dhuan chaach i.e. smoked buttermilk to drink! In Manipur at Shri Govindaji temple, one is served black rice (found locally) that is slightly sour with a sweet kheer. The combination of black and white with contrasting tastes is a treat. Aren’t these things exotic!” exclaims Arun.
The Jagannath temple in Puri, is known to have country’s largest kitchen. “From rice cooked in ghee and orange juice, chena poda (a soft, juicy cheese cake with caramel topping) to pokharo (a cold drink made of rice water, mango-flavoured ginger available in Puri, lemon and orange leaves), the temple is a treasure house of delicacies,” adds Arun.
The food in temple also has an emotional connect.“The taste of bhog is ultimate, as it is prepared with bhaav or piety, scientifically cooked in mud utensils, that helps in retaining flavours of natural ingredients and spices,” concludes Arun.