Indian cuisine has a range and variety that is extraordinary, with each region contributing its own flavor. Modern Indian cooking borrows selectively from these diverse styles, assimilates and adapts them to suit the palate. The richness of Indian food, therefore continues to grow. Out of these, dum pukht is a major style.
Slow Oven or Dum Pukht has become one of the most refined forms of cooking in India, even though the style is no more than 200 years old. This cuisine is popular in Central UP (Awadh), Punjab (India), Kashmir (India) and Pakistan. This style came into existence 200 years ago, when Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah was building the Bara Imambara during the famine of 1784 to provide work for his starving people, huge quantities of food was cooked in large vessels, degs, in massive double-walled ovens called bukharis. He tasted the food one night and loved it so much that bukhari cooking was incorporated into the royal court. Slow Oven means cooking on very low flame, mostly in sealed containers, allowing the meats to cook, as far as possible, in their own juices and bone-marrow. The spices used are less than those in traditional Indian cooking, with fresh spices and herbs for flavouring .
In some cases, cooking dough is spread over the container, like a lid, to seal the foods. This is known as a purdah (veil), but on cooking becomes a bread which has absorbed the flavors of the food and the two are, therefore, best eaten together. In the end, Dum Pukht food is about aroma, when the seal is broken on the table and the fragrance of an Avadhi repast floats in the air. Its famous recipes include Dum Chicken Biryani, Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, Nihari Gosht, Dal Bukhara, Mirch ka Salan, etc. Dum Chicken Biryani * 1 Whole Chicken (cut in pieces) * 500 grams of Basmati Rice (Preferably pre-soaked for atleast half an hour) * 2 medium Onions (thinly sliced) * 5 Cardamom Pods * 2 Cinnamon Sticks * 6 Cloves * 1 tsp. Garlic Paste * 1 tsp.
Ginger Paste * 200 grams of Plain Yogurt * ½ tsp. Turmeric Powder * 1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder * 3 tsp.
Coriander Powder * 1 tsp. Cumin Powder * ½ tsp. Cumin Seeds * 500 ml Stock * A few Saffron Strands (Zafran) (soaked in 5 tablespoons of water) * A handful of Ready Fried Onions (for garnish) * A bunch of Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped - for garnish) * 200 grams of Clarified Butter (Ghee) or Cooking Oil 1. Marinade the chicken pieces with the plain yogurt , turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and cumin powder.
2. Add the sliced onion and salt and mint to the marination. In boiling water add clarified butter or oil, cinnamon sticks, cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds and boil the rice until it is half cooked. Add the rice to the meat.
Pour a little clarified butter or oil and saffron water on rice and cook the rice on dum for about 30-45 minutes or until done. 3. Serve hot garnished with fried onion and fresh coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions: Serve Hot Garnished with Fried Onion and Fresh Coriander Leaves. Degree of Difficulty: Medium Recipe Category: Main Course Rice HYDERABADI MUTTON BIRYANI RECIPE Ingredients: 1 kg Rice 1 kg Mutton 10 gms Cardamom 10 gms Cinnamon 10 gms Cumminseed 10 gms Cloves 40 gms Ginger 20 gms Garlic 100 gms Green Chillies 50 gms Fried Onion 1 bunch Coriander Leaves 1bunch Pudina 2 Lemon 1/4 Curd 1/4 kg Ghee How to make meat biryani: * Wash mutton and take it in a vessel. * Grind green chillies, ginger, garlic, spices, fried onion, and mix them all, then add this mixture to the meat. * Then add curd to it, mix the stuff thoroughly. Leave the material for half an hour.
* Take 2 litres of water in a vessel and put it on the stove. * When water boils well put the rice in the vessel. Take out the semi-cooked rice and spread it on the meat and spices mixture as a layer. Take some more rice and spread as second layer. Finally, spread the fully cooked rice. * Prepare a mixture of one cup of boiled water and 1/4 kg ghee and spill it on the rice.
* Now put a plate on the vessel and seal the edges with dough. Put the vessel on the stove, cook for 15 minutes on medium flame. * Then turn off the stove. Leave the stuff for 15 minutes.
* Hyderabadi mutton biryani is ready to serve.
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