The Haandi

A Haandi or Handis is essential in cooking your conventional Indian dishes. It is a circular clay pot with a fairly thick bottom and a clay saucer used as a lid. Haandi cooking was re-introduced in India during the late 1700’s by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah for the laborers that worked in the construction of Bara Imam Bara Mosque. Traditionally, water with flour mixed as paste is used to seal the haandi and is placed in an open fire or in hot charcoals. This cooks the food through extreme heat and pressure by means of condensation. Some even place the charcoals on the top of the lid to distribute heat evenly. You can also sauté and simmer by using the haandi as a cooking pot.

There are mainly two methods of cooking using the haandi. The par method of cooking is where the haandi is placed in an open fire to sauté the spices and then cook the raw ingredients. Dishes cooked using the par method is usually half-cooked. The other method of handi cooking is the dum method wherein the haandi is covered, sealed and placed over hot charcoals.

After the food is cooked, a knife is used to open the haandi. You will be able to smell the scrumptious aroma of the food as steam rises from the pot. After all, as expected with Indian cuisine, haandi cooking often use strong spices and aromas like turmeric and cinnamon.

You can emulate the haandi cooking in your home by using a crock pot or a bean pot. The slow cooking process is the key to let the food absorb the spices inside the pot. When using the crock pot, the dum method is followed by sealing the sides of the lid with the flour and water paste mixture to seal off steam and thus cook the food faster.