Annakut recipe/How to make Annakoot for Goverdhan puja

All around the world when people celebrate a festival, food is the first thing on the list of preparations. Every festival has traditional meal or dish(es) associated with it since centuries. 

The food cooked for a festival often has some religious or historical significance but at times it’s just because it’s been done that way since generations in family. The festival food associations, I can think of are til laddu on sankrant, ghevar on teej, gujiya/karanji on holi, puran poli for gudi padwa, etc.. There are a lot of other festivals but I don’t exactly know what food is traditional to them, like Lohri, Baisakhi, Pongal and Onam.

Coming to the current festival Diwali, which is celebrated for over 5 days, has each day having its own history and tradition. The fourth day of Diwali is celebrated as ‘Gowardhan Pooja’ or ‘Annakut’ since over 5000 years. This day is ‘Padwa’ or ‘Varsha pratipada’

Gowardhan puja is performed with great zeal and enthusiasm in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

The story of this day is narrated in Hindu mythological literature, Bhagwad Gita. 

It is celebrated as the day when Krishna defeated Indra. Lord Krishna taught people to worship nature, as mountains bring rains to earth and to stop worshing Indra, controller and God of rains. This was because Indra had gotten too proud of himself. His was the message that we should take of our nature. For Annakut a mountain of food is decorated symbolizing Gowardhan mountain said to be lifted by Lord Krishna to save the people from the wrath of Lord Indra, God of rain.

In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Padva or Bali Patipada. Men present gifts to their wives on this day. In Gujarat, it is celebrated as New Year, as Vikrat Samvat starts on this day.

On this auspicious day people prepare 56 or 108 different varieties of delicious dishes to offer Lord Krishna as ‘Bhog’. In the temples, specifically in Mathura and Nathdwara, the deities are given milk bath, dressed in new shinning attires and decorated with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones and metals. Then they are worshipped, offered prayers, bhajans, delicious sweets, fruits and eatables that are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the idols.

Annakut ki sabji (mixture of all seasonal vegetables), Puri and moong chawal kadhi for annakut (Gowardhan) bhog is a must on this Special Day!!!

During this of year in India, new vegetables are available in market like cauliflower, peas, carrots etc.. To consume these vegetables, Annakut sabji/curry is prepared.

Take a little of all the vegetables available in the market to prepare Annakut sabji. Here in this recipe, I have added almost 21 vegetables to make the annakut Prasad.

This curry is first offered to the deity then later it is distributed to all in the form of Prasad. In North India this sabji is made in all of the temples/ mandir and mostly homes.

Step by step annakut sabji recipe:

Rinse and clean all the vegetables properly with enough water. Keep it aside.

Break the cauliflower into pieces. Cut off the ends of all the beans. Peel the carrots and radish and remove its stem. Don’t discard the radish leaves; we will need them with other leafy vegetables.

Peel tinde, parwal and arbi. Cut its edges from both ends.

Remove the stem of capsicum/green bell pepper. Cut into two halves and remove the seeds as well.

Peel lauki/bottle gourd.

Now start chopping the vegetables into medium sized pieces. Break the cauliflower florets into medium size pieces. Chop off the stem of brinjals. Peel potatoes.

Wash the tomatoes and chop them into small pieces.

Take chopped green chilies in a grinder and add in ginger pieces. Grind them and keep aside.

Wash all the green leafy vegetables thoroughly till the mud and dirt is off.

Remove water and let it drain. Chop palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek leaves), radish leaves and dill leaves (shepu/suva).

Also wash green coriander and chop it finely.

At last, chop potatos and brinjals and put them in water so that they do not change color. 

Making annakut-

Pour oil in a big heavy bottom pan and heat. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat and put cumin seeds (jeera) and let it splutter.

Add the green chili and ginger paste and gently fry the spices.

Add hing, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

Now put all the chopped vegetables (except tomatoes and green vegetables)  in the pan.

The vegetables that take longer should be added first to the pan.

ex) potatoes, cauliflower, radish, bottle gourd etc...

...and followed by rest.

Put salt and red chili powder. Then, mix all the vegetables with the spices.

Cover the pan and cook vegetables on low to medium flame. Keep stirring every 3- 5 minutes.

After the vegetables are half cooked, add chopped tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now add all the chopped leafy vegetables and combine everything.

Do not cover the pan. Let it cook for 5 more minutes till its soft. Now add garam masala and stir gently.

Lastly, spinkle green coriander leaves and turn off the stove.

The tasty annakut bhog is ready. Offer annakut Prasad to Lord krishna’s deity. Then, serve it to all the family members with puri or roti.

Below is the printable version of this recipe.

Annakut Prasad recipe for Goverdhan puja:

Annakut Sabji Prep time Cook time Total  30 min  20 min  50 min Annakut sabji – a northIndian curry made with all the seasonal vegetables, served as a bhog/Prasad/offering to Lord Krishna. AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: Main CUISINE: North Indian SERVES: 8 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup=237 ml) 1 small floret Cauliflower (full gobi) A small piece of Cabbage (gobi) 3 small Brinjal (baigan/eggplant) 1-2 medium sized Potatoes(aloo) 1-2 medium sized Raddish (muli) 100 gm Radish beans (sangria/dingri/moongre 50 gm Broad beans (papdi/vaal/sem) 50 gm Cluster beans (gawar ki phali) ¼ cup Peas (fresh/frozen) 1 Carrot (gajar) 2 Apple gourd (tinde) 1-2 Arbi 5-6 Lady finger(okra/bhindi)- optional 2-3 Parwal(pointed gourd) 3 inch long piece Lauki (bottle gourd) 1 medium sized capsicum (green bell pepper/Shimla mirch) 100 gm Pumpkin (kaddu) 3 to 4 small Tomatoes Leafy vegetables 1 small bunch of Spinach(palak) 1 small bunch  of fenugreek leaves (Methi) Fresh Raddish leaves (leaves of raddish which we are using) Few stems of fresh Dill leaves (shepu/suva) Spices 3 to 5 tbsp. Oil 3 pinch hing (asafoetida) 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 3 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya) 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 4 inch long piece Ginger 5 to 6 green chili ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder ½ to 1 tsp garam masala 2 tsp salt (as per taste) 100 gm green coriander DIRECTION Preparations- Rinse and clean all the vegetables properly with enough water. Keep it aside. Break the cauliflower into pieces. Cut off the ends of all the beans. Peel the carrots and raddish and remove its stem. Don’t discard the raddish leaves, we will need them with other leafy vegetables. Peel tinde, parwal and arbi. Cut its edges from both ends. Remove the stem of capsicum/green bell pepper. Cut into two halves and remove the seeds as well. Peel lauki/bottle gourd. Now start chopping the vegetables into medium sized pieces. Break the cauliflower florets into medium size pieces. Chop off the stem of brinjals. Peel potatoes. Wash the tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Take chopped green chilies in a grinder and add in ginger pieces. Grind them and keep aside. Wash all the green leafy vegetables thoroughly till the mud and dirt is off. Remove water and let it drain. Chop palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek leaves), raddish leaves and dill leaves (shepu/suva). Also wash green coriander and chop it finely. At last, chop potatos and brinjals and put them in water so that it does not change color.  Making annakut- Pour oil in a big heavy bottom pan and heat. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat and put cumin seeds (jeera) and let it splutter. Add hing, turmeric powder, coriander powder. Add green chili and ginger paste and gently fry the spices. Now put all the chopped vegetables(except  tomatoes and green vegetables)  in the pan. Put salt and red chili powder then mix all the vegetables with the spices. Cover the pan and cook vegetables on low to medium flame. Keep stirring every 3- 5 minutes. After the vegetables are half cooked, add chopped tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add all the chopped leafy vegetables and combine everything really well. Do not cover the pan. Let it cook for 5 more minutes till its soft. Now add garam masala and stir gently. Lastly spinkle green coriander leaves and turn off the stove.  SERVING SUGGESTION Tasty annakut bhog is ready. Offer annakut Prasad to Lord krishna’s deity then later serve it to all the family members with puri or roti.