Back!!! After a looong break, 2 reasons : One, I started redesigning the blog from scratch and I never seem to be convinced with what I have done; Two, we moved back to Chennai after a short term at Eindhoven and it took a while to get back the Internet connection(phew!). Now, speaking of 'Dum', I do not intend to post complete recipes in this blog but just the techniques and tips that am learning from various sources.

For the uninitiated, Dum is a slow-cooking method dating back to a couple of centuries, it is a well known technique in making Biriyani. But nothing stops us from using the same technique for any other flavored rice dish or gravy(like Dum aloo) :-) This technique results in soft, fluffy rice beautifully infused with the rich aroma of the spices. The traditional method uses dough to seal the pot, few others talk of damp towel and aluminium foil. I find using aluminium foil the easiest and mess-free. The below picture shows the technique step by step.

I use this technique for making pulaos too, to get the rice aromatic and fluffy but not mushy at the same time. I am sure, i have not done justice with the photo of the final product but I will make it a point to post a better one later :-)