Asafoetida Hing Is King!
It may be perceived as malodorous but only until it is added to your food. And its health properties far outnumber its pungent flavour. Add a pinch of it to your meals, it will do you much good, says Gayatri Peshawaria. Inguva in Telegu, Perungaayam in Tamil, Kaayam in Malayalam and Badhika in Sanskrit, asafoetida is indispensable in any self-respecting Indian kitchen. Popularly known as hing in India, asafoetida gets its name from Persian aza for ‘resin’ and Latin foetidus for ‘stinking.’ Pronounced as ‘asa-fur-tee-da,’ it is a resin-like gum, which is greyish white when fresh but darkens with age (also, when dried) to yellow, red and, eventually, brown. With greenish-yellow flowers produced in large compound umbels, it comes from the sap of the stem and the pulpy roots of the Ferula species. It is sold in blocks or pieces and, more frequently, as a fine yellow powder, crystalline or granulated.
In India, asafoetida is largely employed to add that strong onion-garlic flavour to vegetarian dishes and used especially by Brahmins and Jains who do not eat onions or garlic. Suited to many pickles, lentils, fish dishes and to season some papadums, asafoetida is also utilised in many South and West Indian dishes.
Used in medicines because of its antibiotic properties, asafoetida is also known to treat impotency, hysteria, mood swings and depression. About 3-6 gm of the gum mixed with 2 tsp of honey, 1/4 tsp of white onion juice and 1 tsp of betel leaf juice, taken thrice daily, helps to Quite a mouthful, isn’t it? Do incorporate the virtuousness of asafoetida in your meals. Ingredients: 1 cup of long grain brown rice, cooked8 - 10 mushrooms, sliced A large fistful of chopped fresh parsley A small fistful of pine nuts Juice of half a lemon 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil A pinch of asafoetida Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Method: Sauté the mushrooms in the oil. Pour lemon juice over them after they are nicely brown. Lightly roast the pine nuts for a few minutes in a small, unoiled pan, which should be constantly shaken. Mix all the ingredients into the cooked rice and reheat if necessary. Peppery Tomatoes with Mushrooms Ingredients: 450 gm mushrooms, sliced 5 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, diced 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi) A pinch of ground asafoetida 1/2 tsp ground cumin (jeera) 2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp brown sugar Method: Heat the oil over a medium heat in a deep-sided, lidded frying pan. Add the spices in the order listed allowing a few seconds between additions. Stir in the mushrooms and lightly brown them before adding the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Cook over medium to high heat, uncovered until the liquid from the tomatoes has been reduced to a stew-like consistency. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Serve after about 10 minutes of simmering or, even better, prepare ahead of time. Allow to cool and then reheat. A few hours of allowing the preparation stay really develops the flavours. This recipe will serve 2-4 as a side dish. Increase ingredients proportionately if serving more or if preparing as main dish.
|
Often referred to as ‘devil’s dung,’ asafoetida, when raw, has an overwhelming, pungent odour, like that of rotting onions or sulphur. Used especially as a digestive aid in food, as a condiment and in pickles, it is best stored in airtight containers to avoid affecting other spices kept nearby. However, its aroma becomes a lot milder and sufficiently pleasant when heated in oil or ghee. In cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavour reminiscent of leeks.
Grown in Kashmir and in some parts of Punjab, asafoetida is largely imported in India from Iran and Afghanistan. It comes in two main varieties- Hing Kabuli Sufaid, milky white in colour, and Hing Lal which is red. It is available in three forms, i.e., tears, mass and paste. Tears, the purest form of resin, is rounded or flattened, is greyish or dull yellow in colour. Mass asafoetida is the common commercial form, uniform in mass. The paste form contains extraneous matter.
Recognized as the plant that helped Prometheus carry the stolen fire from the Sun to the Earth, asafoetida’s reality seems to be a bit different from Greek mythology. Familiar in early Mediterranean having come by land across Iran, it emerged into Europe from a conquering expedition of Alexander The Great. After the Roman Empire fell, until the 16th century, asafoetida was rare in Europe and, if ever encountered, it was viewed as a medicine. Largely popular, at one time, among physicians and cooks in Europe, today, it is largely forgotten in the continent. 
keep away from respiratory disorders like whooping cough, asthma and bronchitis. An immensely effective remedy for flatulence, abdominal pains and digestive disorders, asafoetida is effective in kick-starting peristalsis to prevent constipation. It is also powdered and mixed with ghee and rice and served to women after childbirth to prevent the child from getting colic. The dried gum mixed with water relieves headaches, migraines and tension. When mixed with garlic, asafoetida is efficient in preventing snake bites and repelling insects. If given in the same quantity as opium ingested by the patient, asafoetida is known to counteract the effect of the drug. It is used in Europe and the United States in perfumes and for flavouring. Asafoetida is also useful in alleviating toothache. After being pestled in lemon juice, it is slightly heated. A cotton piece soaked in the lotion and placed in the cavity of the tooth, relieves the pain quickly.
Home Page