Lahore is well known for Dum Pukht dishes
Traditional Dum Pukht Mutton Recipe
Dum Pukht is a slow-cooking method in which meat is cooked gently in a sealed pot with spices, yogurt, onions, and aromatics. The trapped steam cooks the meat slowly and produces a rich, fragrant gravy.
Ingredients — serves 4–5
1 kg bone-in mutton, preferably shoulder or leg
150 ml cooking oil or ghee
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1½ cups full-fat yogurt, beaten
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2–3 green chilies, slit
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp black pepper powder
1½ tsp salt, or to taste
1 small cinnamon stick
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
4–5 cloves
1 bay leaf
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ cup fresh coriander
¼ cup fresh mint
2–3 tbsp lemon juice
2–3 tbsp fried onions
2–3 tbsp ghee for finishing
Optional whole spices
For a more elaborate Mughlai-style flavor:
1 small piece mace (javitri)
2–3 strands saffron
1 tbsp warm milk
1 tbsp kewra water
Method
1. Marinate the mutton
Put the mutton in a large bowl.
Add:
yogurt
ginger-garlic paste
red chili powder
Kashmiri chili
turmeric
coriander powder
cumin powder
salt
lemon juice
Mix thoroughly so every piece is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. For the best flavor, marinate overnight.
2. Prepare the onions
Heat the oil/ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Add sliced onions and fry until deep golden brown.
Remove them and drain on a plate.
Let them cool, then crush about half of them and keep the rest for garnish.
3. Fry the whole spices
In the same pot, add:
cinnamon
black cardamom
green cardamom
cloves
bay leaf
cumin seeds
Fry for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the marinated mutton
Add the entire marinated mutton to the pot.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
You want the yogurt and spices to cook down and coat the meat.
Add the crushed fried onions.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
5. The important Dum Pukht step
Now reduce the heat to very low.
Traditionally, the cooking vessel is sealed so that steam cannot escape. You can do this at home by:
Covering the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
For an even more traditional method, seal the edge of the lid with atta dough.
Place the pot on the lowest possible flame.
Do not add lots of water. The mutton, yogurt, and onions will release moisture, and the sealed pot retains the steam.
6. Slow cook
Cook for approximately 1½–2 hours on very low heat.
Avoid opening the pot repeatedly. The whole principle of Dum Pukht is slow cooking in trapped steam.
Check after about 90 minutes. The mutton should be extremely tender and the gravy should be thick and rich.
If the curry looks too dry before the meat is tender, add a small amount of hot water, reseal, and continue cooking.
7. Finish the dish
Mix saffron with warm milk if using it.
When the mutton is tender, add:
garam masala
black pepper
green chilies
saffron milk
kewra water, if using
2–3 tbsp ghee
Gently mix.
Cook covered for another 5–10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow it to rest for 10–15 minutes before opening.
8. Garnish
Top with:
fried onions
fresh coriander
fresh mint
a few saffron strands
What to serve with Dum Pukht
The classic combinations are:
Naan
Sheermal
Roghni naan
Basmati rice
Zafrani pulao
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