Of Nawabs and Biryanis...

Ever wondered the connection between Biryani and Nawabs,or Biryani and Hyderabad? Stumbled uopn this interesting story behind the Favourite Biryani. Looked good enough to share .

Apparently we owe it to Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, benevolent ruler of Awadh (present day Lucknow). In the late 18th century there was a famine, so this Nawab decidedto create jobs for the needy, thus alleviating hunger. He ordered the construction of the enormous Bara Imambara. Along with it he ordered that food be made available to workers day and night as part of their wages. So large pots were filled with rice, meat, vegetables and spices, and then sealed to make a simple, one-dish meal, and thus our wholesome biryani was born. How it reached the Nawab is quite another bit altogether. One day, as the pots were being unsealed, the extraordinary aromas attracted the attention of the Nawab who was passing by. It was found that the unique cooking method retained the natural aromas and flavours of the food.The Nawab ordered that the cooking technique be perfected for the royal table, and it is from this that modern-day Dum Pukht cooking evolved.

Dum Pukht has become one of the most refined forms of cooking in India. 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.