دمكنی

15:43 Mar 30, 2013 

your definition about دم کنی is correct. but the little misunderstanding here is that I looked at the pictures and suggest cosy (pot cosy) and you suggest a translation for دم کنی. please see the following links:
http://www.fabrica.it/project/pot-cosy
http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Community-Landing/Forum-La...

15:30 Mar 30, 2013 

من شما رو به تعریف دهخدا از دم کنی ارجاع می دم:
م کنی . [ دَ ک ُ ] (اِ مرکب ) چیزی چون بالش و رفاده به صورت دایره انباشته به پشم یا پنبه یا جامه پاره ها یا حصیر بافته شده که آن را در جامه ای گرفته بر در دیگ پلو و چلو نهند تابخاری که از درون دیگ متصاعد شود به خود کشد و دوباره بصورت قطرات آب در دیگ نریزد. (یادداشت مؤلف ).
http://www.loghatnaameh.org/dehkhodaworddetail-e6f6231f9a934...

15:13 Mar 30, 2013 

you are correct, but another usage of دم کنی is for keeping the tea warm and let it brews. please see this link: http://drashpaz.persianblog.ir/tag/بافتنی

15:02 Mar 30, 2013 

Yeah, I think دم کنی is not a good term for this picture by no ways... but the meaning of دم کنی is cpmpletely clear in Farsi.

14:56 Mar 30, 2013 

you mentioned We use دمکنی just to دم کردن. Please look at the pictures again and suppose you put this pot with its دم کنی on the fire. what would happen?!

14:53 Mar 30, 2013 

I have two points to make, first دم کردن doesn't necessarily mean that we put the tea on the fire, we just have to keep it warm to دم بکشه. if you look at the pictures you may see that they used دم کنی to keep the food warm, we also use دم کنی to make the tea دم بکشه. I have mentioned it has two functions and explained from what I see it is the second function.

14:45 Mar 30, 2013 

anyway I'm sure that no one (at least in Iran) use دم کنی to keep rice or tea warm (based on my daily cooking experience).

14:38 Mar 30, 2013 

We don't use دمکنی to keep rice or tea warm, We use دمکنی just to دم کردن. it's one stage in cooking rice, I think we should take the meaning of "دم کردن" into consideration!

13:52 Mar 30, 2013 

I believe دم کنی has two functions in Farsi.The first one is widely used is in cooking specially in cooking rice and spaghetti. we put the دم کنی between the lid and the pot in order to absorb the excess moisture and let the rice/spaghetti دم بکشه. the second application of دم کنی is in keeping the tea warm and let the tea دم بکشه. Actually we use دم کشیدن for both tea and rice, we say بذار چای دم بکشه and بذار برنج دم بکشه. In fact in the pictures that you've provided دم کنی is used just for keeping the food warm not to absorb the excess moisture because the cooking process has already been done.

13:33 Mar 30, 2013 

As Simon notes, the function of a cozy is just to keep something hot, usually a tea pot. The damkoni is used to provide a cooking environment which is steam and to allow the steam to escape slowly. This produces rice which is completely cooked but not خمیر . If you simply cover the rice with a solid cover, the steam will condense under the lid and drop back into the pot...the excess moisture will eventually turn the rice into a starchy mess. The steaming process can easily take up to one hour, which also gives time for a beautiful به دیگ to form. As you probably know, you can't do this with just any rice...the basmati variety works best.

13:19 Mar 30, 2013 

No the main function of دمکنی is not keeping the rice hot, the main function is to absorb excess moisture.
If it is not used in cooking rice, the shape of rice will change badly (because of moisture in the pot), and the taste will not be good at all. In farsi we say برنج خمیر می شود!

13:07 Mar 30, 2013 

Many thanks - "cozy" is a very interesting idea. A tea cosy (UK spelling) simply keeps the tea hot - is keeping the rice hot the main/only function of the دمكنی, or just one of its functions?

If I understand Mina's contribution well, it would seem also to have the function of absorbing excess moisture.