Dum (or dam) is an ancient South Asian cooking method in which food is sealed and finished using its own trapped steam rather than additional liquid. In rice cookery, a practical modern application is the drain-and-steam technique: cook the rice to just al dente, immediately drain off any residual water through a fine sieve, return the pan to the heat-off hob, place a folded tea towel under the lid to absorb condensation, and rest for 5–8 minutes. The residual heat and trapped steam complete the cooking without further liquid absorption — meaning the grains retain their individuality rather than clumping or over-softening. This is the correction for the 'rice a bit on the soft side' that the judges noted in Ismail's original khichuri. The tea towel step matters: without it, condensation drips back onto the rice and creates wet patches that undermine the separation you have worked to achieve. The dum method also works for plain basmati rice and biryani wherever distinct, separate grains are the goal.