We had mixed success with dals and vegetables until we discovered Jeevamrut and Agnihastra. Permaculture, as a discipline, does not really address cow-based farming, since most of the texts originate in the west, where desi cows are not found.
We learned about this from the Beejom farm in Noida, and went on to read Subhash Palekar, the father of Zero Budget Natural Farming, also known as Jaivik Kheti. You can find his collection of books here.
Our key takeaways were that the desi cow is good for the soil and pest prevention, unlike the useless western Jersey or Holstein breeds, and that the biggest benefit of the cow is its dung and urine, not its milk. The hump of the desi cow has a 'surya ketu nadi' which traps the sun's energy.
We already had 2 cows, and started making Jeevamrut. You can read how here.
We also made Agnihastra, using urine, garlic, chillies, tobacco and neem. Read here for the recipe.
This is now our standard fertilizer and insecticide for everything we grow.
