Lagan

In Lucknow, northern India, a shallow copper receptacle known as a lagan is used for cooking large cuts of meat such as lamb shanks or chops and whole chickens. The lagan has a slightly rounded bottom and a heavy, tight-fitting lid, which also makes it ideal for dum dishes, especially in this part of northern India, where the traditional method of using both direct and indirect heat is used. The temperature for dum cooking needs to be quite gentle, so when the prepared food is first heated, the temperature is turned down very low, and indirect heat is created by placing live charcoal on the lid (seeni), surrounding the pan with heat. This method can be replicated by cooking the dish in a low oven, as long as the pan is sealed well.