Asafoetida (hing): what it is and how much to use

Asafoetida (hing in Hindi, asafetyda in Polish) is a spice made from the dried resin of a Ferula plant, usually sold as a yellowish powder. Raw, it smells very strong and unpleasant. After a few seconds in hot fat it gives a mild taste close to cooked onion and garlic. Indian cooks add a pinch to dal, vegetable curry, sambar and pickles.

What asafoetida is

Asafoetida comes from the roots of large Ferula plants that grow mainly in Iran and Afghanistan. When the root is cut, a sap runs out and dries into a hard, brown resin. India has used it for a very long time, although the plant hardly grows there.

You will find two forms in the shop:

• Asafoetida powder (compounded hing). The most common form. The resin is mixed with flour (wheat or rice) and gum arabic so that you can sprinkle and measure it. It is yellow or beige.
• Asafoetida lumps or pure resin. Much stronger. Crush it or dissolve it in a little warm water before use.

The powder often contains wheat flour, so if you avoid gluten, read the ingredients on the label. Some brands make a version with rice flour.

In Poland look for it in Indian and Asian shops, under its English name, as hing, or as asafetyda on a Polish label.

How it tastes and what it goes into

Raw asafoetida smells of sulphur and garlic. The smell disappears when it is fried. In the finished dish you do not taste it on its own: it deepens the flavour and adds a note that many people compare to onion, garlic and leek.

That is why it matters in cooking that uses no onion and garlic, for example Jain cooking and some Brahmin cooking in India. In everyday Indian cooking it is used next to onion and garlic.

Typical dishes with asafoetida:

1. Dal tadka and sambar: a pinch of hing in hot fat with cumin and mustard seeds, poured over the cooked lentils.
2. Potato, cauliflower and chickpea curries.
3. Indian pickles (achar): mango, lemon or chilli.
4. Fried snacks: pakora, bhujia, papadums.

How much asafoetida to use

Asafoetida is very strong, so the amount matters:

• Powder (compounded): ¼ teaspoon, a large pinch, is enough for a pot of dal or curry for 4 people.
• Pure resin: a piece the size of a pea for a large pot.

Too much asafoetida gives a bitter, "medicinal" aftertaste. Start with less.

How to cook with it

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil or ghee.
2. Add cumin or mustard seeds and wait until they sizzle.
3. Add a pinch of asafoetida and fry for 2–3 seconds. Not longer, because it burns fast.
4. Add the onion or tomatoes at once, or pour the fat over the cooked dal.

Always add asafoetida to fat, not to water. Sprinkled raw on a finished dish, it tastes bad.

How to store asafoetida

The smell of asafoetida moves to other spices and food in the cupboard. Keep it in its original, tightly closed container, and if you can, put that inside a jar with a screw lid. The powder gets weaker with time, so do not buy a supply for several years.

Where to buy asafoetida in Poland

Little India sells LG asafoetida 100 g as a powder. All products of this brand are on the LG brand page. With asafoetida you will need cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders across Poland.

Asafoetida goes into dal most often. We describe the lentils in our guide to types of dal, and the other base spices in the Indian spices starter kit.