Written by Ms. Sujatha Madhava
Dum means to breathe, ‘to keep food on slow fire’ and pukht means ‘process of cooking’, thus Dum Pukht is ‘cooking on slow fire’. In this form of cooking the food is cooked in a sealed pot over long periods. Slow cooking infuses the flavors from the various spices, herbs, and fats and imparts various aromas and a certain, unique juiciness to the dish. The food is prepared using the technique of baking where the heat is applied from the bottom and top, which ensures even cooking. By using quality ingredients and correct techniques the result is a dish containing a lot of nutrition, body, and flavors. A lot of hotels and restaurants promote Dum cuisine, thus it is important for a chef to master the techniques of this fine art of cooking.
Dum cooking is commonly associated with Mughlai cuisine and has its roots in Persian or Central Asian cuisine. Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula the ruler of Awadh played an important role in reviving Dum cuisine when he started the construction of Bara Imambara in 1783. To feed the large crowd of workers huge quantities of rice, meat, and vegetables with spices and seasoning were cooked together in large pots over a long period. The subtle aromas of the food created an interest among the royalty and this style of cooking was adopted by the royal kitchens. Other sources, however, state that dum pukht appears to be based on a traditional Peshawar method of cooking dishes buried in the sand. Dum Pukht can also be traced to the nomadic cooking in the olden times where people used to put food into clay pots and bury the pots deep into the ground. Sometimes they used to light a fire on the top to keep animals away. During the war, the soldiers used this style of cooking to prevent their enemies from finding out their location. In India, dum cooking is very popular in Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Kashmir. Generally, this method is applied to cooking meat dishes but as the demand for dum dishes increased, so did the need to suit the palate of vegetarian guests. A wide range of vegetarian dishes are now cooked using this method.
Traditionally, clay pots were used for dum dishes. Deg, Handi or Lagan, Mahi Tawa made out of copper or brass are now preferred as they are much easier to handle and have a longer shelf life, they also retain the heat well. Stainless steel with a heavy bottom is also a good substitute. A note to be made is that the utensil should have a heavy bottom and should be narrow-mouthed. It should also have a tight-fitting lid which must be sealed with dough to prevent the steam from escaping. Copper utensils should be tinned as they can react with acidic food. The shape of the utensil is very important in dum cooking. It should ideally be pear-shaped or have a narrow neck. Because the vapors that rise to the top hits the narrow walls of the pot and due to condensation falls back into the pot, thereby preserving the nutrition and flavor.
Charcoal was used traditionally as the food had to be cooked on very low heat. It can also be cooked on gas or in an oven. After sealing the utensil, it must be placed on a griddle over the gas or in a hot oven. A wood-fired pizza oven can also be used.
Lamb is the most preferred meat, although chicken and other types of meat like beef, duck, wild boar, camel, fish, and seafood are also used. The meat can be whole or cut into smaller pieces depending on the preparation. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, turnips, and mushrooms are used for vegetarian cooking. When it comes to fat, ghee is preferred over oil, mustard oil is also used in North India as it has a more robust flavor. The blend of spices varies from region to region. The chefs can rely on their knowledge and use spices as per their tastes. In North India, the spices used are more fragrant and subtle whereas down South the spices used are much stronger. The spices are slightly broiled before using which helps in releasing the volatile oils. Aromatic spices like cardamom, cloves, mace, nutmeg, fennel, saffron, kabab chini, shahi jeera are used in most of the recipes. For additional flavors kewra and rose water, chandan powder, musk, rose petals, etc can also be used. Fried onion, ginger garlic paste, green chilies, red chili powder, yellow chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chaat masala are some of the spice mixes which are used frequently. Raw papaya paste, lemon juice, curd, vinegar, which act as a tenderizer are also used. Roasted gram flour, cashew nut paste, dry coconut, poppy seeds paste, etc are used as binding agents. The gravies are strained and are more refined in the north than southern India as the nawabs didn’t like to bite on whole spices while eating the food. A lot of emphasis is given to using the best quality ingredients and the assembling of the dish.
Masala in various forms like whole pounded, powder, or paste is used for the preparations. Whole spices are tempered in ghee or oil and the other ingredients like onion, ginger garlic paste, chilies, tomatoes, etc are sautéed. Following which the meat or the vegetable is added along with stock or any other liquid and then the deg is covered with a lid and sealed with dough. The utensil is then placed on charcoal or griddle or oven. A layer of live charcoal can be placed on the lid to give even heat. The food is then cooked on a slow fire and this ensures the release of flavors from the spices and makes the food very juicy and aromatic. As the food is cooked in sealed pots it retains all the flavor and the nutritional element stays intact as well.
Greasing the utensil with ghee helps in preventing the food from getting stuck to the bottom. All the ingredients are added in a synchronized manner keeping in mind the cooking time. The flavor elements are to be added at intervals so as to retain the flavor, whole spices are generally added at the beginning and powdered spices at the finishing stage. Marinating the meat helps in developing the flavors and tenderizes the meat. This knack of assembling the ingredients has to be mastered because this is what makes the dish unique. Once the food is cooked, it can be portioned in smaller handis and a sheet of roti which is called parda can be placed on top. Egg wash is applied to the rotis to give color and then baked in the oven or the tandoor. This adds to the dramatic effect and visual appeal for the guests.
Ideally, the dish must be opened in front of the guest or just before serving as the aroma which comes out is the most tantalizing part of the whole experience of dum cuisine. Smaller portions can be layered in individual containers and given dum just before serving the guest. On the buffet, the food can be served in the lagan itself which adds to ethnic element to the buffet setup.
TECHNIQUES TO MASTER THE ART OF DUM PUKHT CUISINE.
- Add salt to the meat while sautéing, it adds flavor and releases the moisture from the meat when sautéing.
- Cook meat on a slow flame to make it more juicy and tender.
- For making biryani, soak rice for at least twenty minutes.
- Boil whole spices in a potli or muslin cloth so it’s easy to discard.
- Add a sufficient quantity of salt to the water.
- The addition of lemon juice to the water helps in removing impurities and helps to make the rice whiter.
- Cook rice on a slow flame till one-third of it is cooked.
- Saffron soaked in hot water or milk must be added for color and flavor.
- A mixture of hot rice water, ghee, saffron and cream can be sprinkled on the top after the final assembly of rice.
- Making use of the dhunaar technique for disseminating the smoky flavor to the dish also adds to the flavor element.
- Sealing the utensil with dough or covering it with silver foil is essential to retain the flavor of the dish.
- Once the food is cooked and ready to be served it should be opened in front of the guest, the aroma adds to the experience of the dish and helps in guest satisfaction.
- Avoid using ready-made garam masala, freshly pounded masalas are known to give more flavor.
- Garnishing with fresh coriander, mint, juliennes of ginger, onion rings, lemon wedges, etc. gives the dish a more visual appeal.
FAMOUS DISHES
Some exotic dum preparations which are very popular apart from Biryani are Raan, Rizala, Nehari, Kakori kabab, Galouti kabab, Badal Jaam, Dum aloo.
Dum cuisine was popularized by the Mughals, but as time passed the cooking style became more refined. Modernization played an important role in the choice of equipment, use of ingredients, and fuel. In the olden days, recipes were never recorded, they were handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation as the chief cooks were paranoid about someone stealing their recipes. This resulted in the loss of recipes and the lack of standardized recipes. The basics of dum cooking can be modified to suit the taste and health preferences of the guest. The correct proportion of ingredients, equipment, and cooking time plays a vital role in dum cuisine. It can be mastered over a period of time with experience. The little things that matter and which add a special touch to the food are discussed above in this article. You can use those techniques to improve your dum-cooked dishes. Dum pukht cuisine is rich in taste and culture. Thus, it is important to preserve this culinary heritage.
REFERENCES
1. Parvinder S. Bali, 2014, Quantity Food Production Operations and Indian Cuisine
2. J. Inder Singh Kalra and Pradeep Das Gupta,1986, Prashad Cooking with Indian Masters
3. https://youtu.be/V-DpRLnhNWA
4. https://youtu.be/VOb0-7HwTTg
( The author is an Associate Professor Food Production at V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International
Hospitality Education )
