Why Shuddh Hing Asafoetida?

Shuddh Hing’s asafoetida is the most pungent and prevalent spice throughout Central Asia and the Middle East. It makes Indian food taste Indian. Asafoetida provides that onion-y, warming, mysterious flavour characteristic of Indian cuisine. It has an extensive history of use as both a food and medicine. Using asafoetida in any one of your dishes during the day keeps your intestine healthy and light. In Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, it is said that it nourishes and relieves the stagnation of the nervous tissue. Hing is loaded with myriad benefits, including nutritional elements like carbohydrates, fibre, potassium, calcium, iron, and an abundant host of volatile essential oils for skin health

How to use it?

1. If you are new to using asafoetida then it may be useful for you to know when and how to use hing.
2. It’s of paramount importance to keep in mind to use this Indian spice sparingly while cooking.
3. A little amount of hing imparts a strong flavour so a pinch (upto 1g approx) for a serving of 4-6 will be enough.
4. It is also a seasoning that you can sprinkle on top of Vada batter, Curd vadas, Butter milk, Bajjis, Bondas, etc. and is also used in certain South-Indian vegetable dishes.
5. You can soak asafoetida powder as well in water if you wish to bring out a stronger taste.

Other uses?

However, use of hing in cooking is not just limited to Indian dishes.You can add Hing to make different types of dishes. Given below are some ideas on how to use asafoetida spice creatively for cooking.

1. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of hing spice in warm oil with other spices before adding vegetables for making an aromatic stir fry
2. Add it along with other ingredients while making the base curry sauce.
3. Dissolve a tsp of whole or powdered asafoetida in water and add it to other liquids such as water, tamarind pulp, tomato juice, and soya sauce to make sauces.
4. You can add it to lentils, legumes, vegetable soups, stews, and casseroles. (The Japanese use it in most of their soups)
5. Mix it with other spices such as black pepper, cumin powder, and cayenne pepper for making a spice rub.
6. Use asafoetida as a pickling spice.