Dum pukht

Method

The term etymologically derives from Persian. Dum or dam 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 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.

References

References

1. (2012). "Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food, and South Asia". Univ of California Press.
2. Al Haj Maulvi Feerozuddin. "Feerozul Lughat". Feerozsons Limited Lahore Rawalpindi Karachi.
3. Watson, Shweta. (2022-09-18). "Hyderabad: Making Dum Pukht style of cooking popular again".
4. (23 August 2022). "Bon appétit Hyderabad, as 'Art of Dum' brings its slow-cooked delicacies.".
5. Charmaine O' Brien. (15 December 2013). "The Penguin Food Guide to India". Penguin Books Limited.
6. Kalra, J. Inder Singh. (2022-05-26). "Prashad-Cooking with Indian Masters (Thoroughly Revised Edition, 2022)". Allied Publishers.
7. (1986). "Prashad Cooking with Indian Masters". Allied Publishers.