Dum pukht: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Cooking technique}}

[[File:Asma Khan about to open traditional Calcutta-style dum biryani.jpg|alt=woman with a very large pot sealed with dough|thumb|Chef [[Asma Khan]], about to open a dum biryani]]

'''Dum pukht''' ({{langx|fa|دَم‌ پخت}}), '''larhmeen''', dampokhtak, or '''slow oven cooking''' is a cooking technique associated with the [[Mughal Empire]] in which meat and vegetables are cooked over a low flame, generally in dough-sealed containers. Traditions assign its origin in [[Partition_of_India|pre-partition India]] to the reign of [[Nawab of Awadh]] [[Asaf-ud-Daula|Asaf-ud-Daulah]] (1748–97). The technique is now commonly used in other cuisines such as [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], and [[West Asian cuisine|West Asian]].

==Method==

The term etymologically derives from Persian. ''Dum'' means 'to keep food on slow fire' and ''pukht'' means 'process of cooking', thus meaning 'cooking on slow fire'. The method often requires cooking times up to 24 hours.

Dum pukht cooking uses a round, heavy-bottomed pot, preferably a ''handi'' (clay pot), in which food is sealed and cooked over a slow fire. The two main aspects of this style of cooking are ''bhunao'' and ''dum'', or 'roasting' and 'maturing' of a prepared dish. In this cuisine, herbs and spices are important. The process of slow roasting gently allows each to release their maximum flavour. The sealing of the lid of the ''handi'' with dough achieves maturing. Cooking slowly in its juices, the food retains its natural aromas.

In some cases, cooking dough is spread over the container, like a lid, to seal the foods; this is known as ''pardah'' (veil). Upon cooking, it becomes a [[bread]] which has absorbed the flavors of the food. The bread is usually eaten with the dish.

==Legendary origin==

Legend has it that when [[Nawab of Awadh|Nawab]] [[Asaf-ud-daulah]] (1748–1797) found his kingdom in the grip of famine, he initiated a food-for-work program, employing thousands in the construction of the [[Bada Imambara]] shrine. Large cauldrons were filled with rice, meat, vegetables, and spices and sealed to make a simple one-dish meal that was available to workers day and night. One day the Nawab caught a whiff of the aromas emanating from the cauldron and the royal kitchen was ordered to serve the dish.

Other sources, however, simply state that dum pukht appears to be based on a traditional [[Peshawar]] method of cooking dishes buried in [[sand]].

==See also==

{{portal|Food|India}}

* [[List of cooking techniques]]

{{Cooking techniques}}

[[Category:Pakistani cuisine]]

[[Category:Indian cuisine]]

[[Category:Balochi cuisine]]

{{二次利用|date=30 January 2025, at 04:21}}