DUM TECHNIQUE

India brought the most cherished and royal cooking technique to the country – Dum Cooking Technique. A culinary style that allows the meat to get cooked in its own aroma very slowly while retaining all the flavours and filling

with anticipation. Dum Cooking Technique isn’t the one that can be practiced by an amateur. It needs a high level of expertise.

The technique is originally called – Dum Pukht. Dum refers to ‘breathe in’ and Pukht means ‘to cook’. A special utensil called ‘Handi’ is used in Dum cooking. A handi is a heavy bottomed container that is sealed with dough and placed on slow flame to cook the dish.

Dum cooking Technique involves two things – Roasting (Bhuno) and maturing (Dum). As the spices and herbs used in the culinary style play an important role, roasting allows each spice and herb to release its flavour into the dish. Because the cooking pot (handi) is sealed, the entire aroma is retained while cooking.

In roasting part, food is sauted, stir fried and stewed. In maturing part, the food is sealed with wet dough. Usual way of covering the pot with a lid doesn’t work efficiently because the steam still escaped during such a process. Thus, dough made of wheat flour and water is used. The dish is kept covered until it needs to be served. Most of the times it is brought directly to the table and then the lid are opened. The result is dramatic. The rich aroma that comes out with the escaping steam is always considered an important part of the experience with a Dum Cooked dish.

Dum cooking Technique in modern times

There are a number of dishes cooked in modern India with this technique. A number of variations are of course available. If a person cannot get his hands over a handi, bean pots or crack pots can be used.

Dishes like Dum Aloo and Hyderabadi Dum Biryani are popular all over the world. The cooking technique is an inseparable part of many regional cuisines in India like Kashmiri Cuisine, Mughlai Cuisine and of course, Awadhi Cuisine.

Now a days people makes biryani in pressure cooker or in microwave but they dont understand the value of flavour they are loosing by cooking in that way, it is important to understand that this method is the best if you want the best flavour to taste your mouthbuds. i also used to make in pressure cooker as i wasnt having handi but now whenever i make i do it in round bottom vessel with a lid on top sides covered with dough and a piece of coal on top or making a space in centre of vessel.