Ayurvedic, used in cooking to help with digestion
Asafoetida also known as Hing has a wonderful flavour and aroma slightly similar to onion or garlic.
Start with a tiny amount - less is better. The pungent smell will soften upon cooking.
Best when placed in hot ghee or coconut oil for a few seconds and then stirred and cooked with vegies in steamy water. Spices like cumin seed, mustard seed and coriander are fried first. The asafoetida is added lastly to the medium hot oil which difuses the powerful flavour evenly, giving the entire meal a gentle pleasant taste. After adding the asafoetida to ghee the veggies should be tossed in after one second so the spice powder does not burn.
Asafoetida is also used with other culinary spices for bloating, indigestion, worms and congestion.
