Steam Cooking

Dum is both a technique and a philosophy in Pakistani cooking — the idea that food cooked in its own sealed steam reaches a depth of flavor that open-pot cooking cannot achieve. Biryani is the most famous dum dish: the layered pot is sealed with a thick dough rope (goondi) or foil, then placed on a tawa over low flame with charcoal on the lid to create heat from above and below. Home cooks use a heavy kitchen towel instead of dough to seal the pot. The seal must not be broken until the dish is brought to the table.