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Dum pukht ( fa, دُم پخت), larhmeen, or slow oven cooking is a cooking technique associated with the
Dum pukht ( fa, دُم پخت), larhmeen, or slow oven cooking is a cooking technique associated with the Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
in which meat and vegetables are cooked over a low flame, generally in dough-sealed containers with few spices. Traditions assign its origin in pre-partition India to the reign of Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nish ...
Asaf-ud-Daulah (1748–97). The technique is now commonly used in other cuisines such as South Asian
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
, Central Asian
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the form ...
, and West Asian
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes An ...
.
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'. 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 to 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. Fewer spices are used than in traditional Pakistani cooking with fresh spices and herbs for flavouring.Legendary origin
Legend has it that whenNawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
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
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
method of cooking dishes buried in sand.
See also
* List of cooking techniquesReferences
{{Cooking techniques Pakistani cuisine Indian cuisine Cooking techniques Telangana cuisine Hyderabadi cuisine Punjabi cuisine Pashtun cuisine Mughlai cuisine Muhajir cuisine Balochi cuisine