The art of cooking Dum style is very popular in many parts of India. It is traced to have originated in Persia therefore, wherever the Mughals set their establishment, Dum cooking became a part of the culinary heritage of that region.
In India, Nawab Wazir of Awadh – Asaf-ud-Daulah is given the credit of introducing Dum Pukht way back in 1784. The Bada Imambara of Lucknow is said to have been built for the purpose of generating employment for his subjects during the famine that raged during the period. A huge kitchen was set up to feed the workers, where rice, meat, vegetables and spices were added in a huge pot, which was then covered from the top. This is believed to be the origin of the aromatic and fulfilling Dum Biryani in India.
Dum Pukht is a unique process of slow cooking. It is usually a wholesome one-pot aromatic dish, having complex yet subtle flavors mixed to the ultimate perfection to appease the fussiest taste buds. Low temperature is maintained throughout the cooking process, which helps to retain maximum nutrition.
The entire process of cooking takes place in a sealed vessel, in order to capture the maximum aroma of the herbs and spices into the dish. It can make a celebrity out of a humble potato! That is the power of Dum cooking.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the popularity of Dum Pukht spread far and wide! In fact, the Crock-Pot or the slow cooker, which became popular in American kitchens in the early 1970s, is also a modified version of the Dum Pukht!
My first tryst with Dum Pukht goes back to the Sunday morning brunch at our home; Dum Aloo and Puri. Much later, I was introduced to Mutton Dum Biryani and it was an instant knockout for me. From Dum Biryani, Dum Aloo to Dum ki Seviyan Dum ke kya kehene!
It takes a bit of time to master Dum cooking but once you do, you have achieved your own supremacy in Royal style Cooking. It’s worth the effort but till you achieve that level don’t stop exploring the Dum delicacies around you.
