You've probably spent hours tracking down that one perfect stallion with the white mane, only to watch it get vaporized by a stray Guardian Laser or, more likely in Tears of the Kingdom, a poorly aimed Zonai cannon. It hurts. But the giant, terrifying bud known as Malanya—the Horse God—is back in the Akkala region, and he’s hungrier than ever. Unlike the previous game where he just sort of existed to bring back the dead, now he’s a culinary critic. If you want to upgrade your horse's stats, you're going to need to master totk horse god recipes, and honestly, some of them are a total pain to cook.
Malanya hangs out in North Akkala now, specifically near Bloodleaf Lake. You'll need an Endura Carrot just to get him to pop his head out of the bud. Once he's out, he offers two main services: resurrection and stat enhancement. Resurrection is easy; it usually just costs a Roasted Endura Carrot. Upgrading, though? That’s where the kitchen work starts. You're looking at specific meals to boost Strength, Speed, Stamina, and Pull.
Why Speed and Strength Matter More Than You Think
Most players settle for a decent horse and call it a day. But a 5-star Speed horse feels like a completely different game. It’s the difference between a sluggish commute and a Ferrari. To get there, Malanya demands high-end meals.
To upgrade Speed from 4 to 5 stars, you'll need three Glazed Veggies and three Steamed Tomatoes. Sounds simple, right? It isn't if you haven't been hoarding Courser Bee Honey. You can find honey near Hyrule Field or in the forests of Necluda, but those bees don't give it up without a fight. Use a fire arrow or a blizzard rod to clear the swarm quickly.
The Logic of the Kitchen
The game doesn't explicitly tell you the recipes. It just gives you a list of "requests." You have to know the cooking mechanics. Basically, a "Veggie Rice Ball" is just any vegetable plus Hylian Rice. But Malanya isn't looking for basic stamina-recovering snacks; he wants the good stuff.
Let's talk about the Apple Pie request. You need Tabantha Wheat, Cane Sugar, Goat Butter, and an Apple. You can buy the sugar and butter in Rito Village, which makes that town a mandatory pit stop for anyone serious about their stable.
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Navigating the Complexity of TotK Horse God Recipes
If you're aiming for a max-stat horse, you're going to be spending a lot of time at the cooking pot near East Akkala Stable. The sheer volume of ingredients is the real barrier here. For a Strength upgrade to 5 stars, Malanya wants three Vegetable Omelets and three Veggie Cream Soups.
Here is how you actually make those:
- Vegetable Omelet: Any plant (like a Hyrule Herb), Bird Egg, Goat Butter, and Rock Salt.
- Veggie Cream Soup: Any vegetable or herb, Fresh Milk, and Rock Salt.
You see the pattern? You need a massive amount of Rock Salt and Goat Butter. I recommend hitting up the general stores in Kakariko and Hateno Village every time the Blood Moon rises to restock your pantry. It’s tedious. It's grindy. But seeing that 5-star Strength stat makes your horse practically a tank.
Pull Stats: The New Kid on the Block
In Tears of the Kingdom, we have the Pull stat because of the towing harness. If you like dragging around wagons or building elaborate mobile laser platforms, you need this. Upgrading Pull usually involves "Copious" dishes.
A Copious Fried Wild Greens dish requires four different types of vegetables or herbs. Don't double up. If you use two Hyrule Herbs, it won't count as "Copious." You need a mix—say, a Hyrule Herb, a Swift Violet, a Cool Safflina, and an Armoranth. Toss them in the pot and hope for the best. Malanya is picky about his greens.
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The Endura Carrot Bottleneck
Everything comes back to Endura Carrots. They are the premium currency of the Horse God world. You can find them reliably at the Satori Mountain cherry blossom tree. There are usually 3-4 growing right there.
There’s also a trick: you can find them near the other cherry blossom trees scattered around Hyrule where you offer fruit to the Satori. But Satori Mountain is the gold mine. You'll need these carrots not just for the initial summon, but for high-level upgrades like the final Stamina boost. For that 5-star Stamina, you’re looking at three Vegetable Risottos and three Carrot Stews.
To make Carrot Stew, combine an Endura Carrot (or Swift Carrot), Tabantha Wheat, Fresh Milk, and Goat Butter. It’s a rich dish. Malanya has expensive taste, clearly.
Misconceptions About Upgrading
A lot of people think you can just feed any horse and make it a god. While true, it’s a waste of resources to upgrade a 1-star horse. Find a solid base first. The Giant White Stallion or Epona (if you have the Amiibo) are great candidates, but even a standard wild horse with 4 stars in one category is a better investment.
Also, don't ignore the "Roasted" vs "Cooked" distinction. If Malanya asks for a Roasted Endura Carrot, do not put it in a cooking pot. Drop it on the ground near a fire until it pops. If you cook it into a meal, he won't take it for the resurrection. It’s a small detail that has frustrated many players.
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Mastering the High-End Dishes
The "Curry" requests are usually the ones that trip people up because Goron Spice is only sold in one place: Goron City. You can't forage for it.
- Herb Curry: Goron Spice + Hylian Rice + Any Herb.
- Veggie Rice Balls: Hylian Rice + Any Herb/Veggie.
You’re going to be fast-traveling between Goron City for spice, Rito Village for butter/wheat, and Hateno for milk. It’s a culinary tour of Hyrule. Honestly, the hardest part of totk horse god recipes isn't the cooking—it's the logistics of the ingredients.
If you're short on Hylian Rice, go to the ponds around Hateno or Lurelin and start cutting grass. It drops more often than you'd think. Or just buy it. Life is short, and Link is usually rich by the mid-game anyway.
Actionable Steps for Horse Optimization
Don't try to do it all at once. You'll burn out. Instead, follow this workflow to maximize your efficiency:
- The Satori Run: Hit Satori Mountain every 48 hours of real-world time (or after a couple of Blood Moons) to grab every Endura Carrot available.
- The Grocery Circuit: Visit the Rito and Goron general stores to buy out their stock of Goat Butter, Cane Sugar, Tabantha Wheat, and Goron Spice.
- The Egg Farm: Go to the woods near Kakariko or any place with large trees to farm Bird Eggs. You'll need them for the omelets.
- Bulk Cook: Go to the East Akkala Stable. It has a cooking pot right next to Malanya’s location. Don't cook in Lookout Landing and then travel; do it right in front of the God so you can check his requirements in real-time.
- Save Your Game: Before you commit to a high-level upgrade, save. Ingredients are precious, and you don't want to accidentally eat the meal you just spent ten minutes preparing.
The Horse God is a weird addition to the lore, a terrifying entity that threatens to eat you if you mistreat your horses, but he's the only way to turn a "good" horse into a legendary one. Take the time to gather the ingredients. Your 5-star Speed horse will thank you when you're outrunning Gleeoks in the North Tabantha Snowfield.