Dum pukht
Indo-Persian slow cooking technique using sealed pots.
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Dum pukht, also known as larhmeen, dampokhtak, or slow oven cooking, is an Indo-Persian technique where meat and vegetables are cooked over a low flame, often in dough-sealed containers. It originated during the Mughal Empire and is traditionally linked to the reign of Nawab of Awadh Asaf-ud-Daulah. The method is now used in South Asian, Central Asian, and West Asian cuisines.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Cooking technique
- Known for
- Slow oven cooking in sealed containers
Facts from the source article.
Method
The term dum pukht comes from Persian, where dum means 'to keep food on slow fire' and pukht means 'process of cooking'. Cooking times can reach up to 24 hours. A round, heavy-bottomed pot, often a clay handi, is used; food is sealed inside and cooked over low heat. Two key aspects are bhunao (roasting) and dum (maturing).
Herbs and spices release maximum flavor through slow roasting. The lid is sealed with dough to achieve maturing, allowing food to cook in its own juices and retain natural aromas. In some cases, cooking dough spread over the container acts as a pardah (veil); after cooking, this bread absorbs flavors and is eaten with the dish.
Legendary origin
There are two stories about the origins of dum pukht. One says Nawab Asaf-ud-daulah smelled the sealed pot of rice, meat, and vegetables he had made for famine workers building the Bada Imambara, and then had his kitchen serve it. Another says the method comes from an older Peshawar tradition of burying food in sand to cook.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Dum pukht (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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