Achaar Gosht and Pesarlattu | Seher Krishna

Achaar Gosht

Farhan’s Spiced Mutton with Stuffed Chillies | Serves 3–4

Method:

1. Slit each chilli lengthwise, deseed and stuff with the methi, saunf and kalonji. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan over a low flame.
3. Add the dhaniya, haldi and ginger garlic paste and cook slowly, stirring, until the oil separates and rises clear to the surface.
4. Add the meat and curry leaf and fry until the meat has coloured and taken on the spice.
5. Add the stuffed chillies, then the dahi, and stir through.
6. Add water and adjust accordingly.
7. Seal in a pressure cooker and cook for 35 minutes.
8. Open and check; the meat should fall from the bone but hold some integrity, with the oil separated beautifully around it.
9. Cook open for 5 more minutes and serve hot.

Pesarlattu

Lalita’s Green Moong Dal Crepes | Serves 3–4

Method:

1. The night before, combine the dal and rice in a bowl, cover generously with water and leave to soak overnight.
2. Drain and transfer to a blender with the chillies and hing.
3. Grind to a smooth, thick batter, adding water gradually.
4. It should pour but hold its shape. Do not ferment, use immediately.
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and grease lightly with oil.
6. Pour a ladleful of batter and spread into a thin circle; the thinner the better.
7. Drizzle oil around the edges and cook for 2 minutes until the edges lift and the surface sets. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.
8. Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.

Seher Krishna is a designer, storyteller and food enthusiast who grew up in Bangalore sharing a kitchen and a life’s worth of stories with her grandmother, Lalita Krishnamurthy. With a Master’s in Design for Emergent Futures from Barcelona, Seher explores the intersections of design, sustainability and food cultures.

After working in creative environments, she embarked on a project close to her heart — documenting her grandmother’s life through stories and recipes. Their book @dmlcookbook is a deep dive into the culinary heritage from her paternal grandmother, a blend of both sides of her family, maternal and paternal, woven together through recipes, memories, and a shared delight in flavours. But perhaps the greatest ingredient in all of it is her paternal grandmother herself, who at 94, still greets life with an open mind. It is from her that Seher learned, and keeps learning, that curiosity is not something you grow out of. It is something you choose, every day.

When not writing or designing, Seher can be found coaxing saplings from seeds; repurposing leftovers into something delicious or cooking with her faithful sous-chef Hazel—a dog with surprisingly refined tastes and an uncanny ability to appear whenever something is being whipped up in the kitchen.

“The views, historical interpretations, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or stance of Bruite Magazine.”

^{Translations and detailed descriptions are provided to give a better understanding of the story to people from different cultural backgrounds across the globe.}