Asafoetida recipes | 2122 Indian Hing recipes |
Indian Asafoetida recipes. Hing recipes. Asafoetida, which is more commonly known as hing in India, is a resin that is made from fennel plants. It is grown mostly in Iran and Afghanistan and is said to have been introduced to India in the 16th century. It is mostly sold in a powdered form and it widely using in Indian cooking.
![Nylon Khaman Dhokla ( Gujarati Recipe)]()
Nylon Khaman Dhokla ( Gujarati Recipe)
Hing when uncooked is very pungent but gives a very nice umami flavor to the food once cooked. It is an essential in Indian cooking and is used in a lot in dals, subzis and sambhars along with other spices like turmeric.
Hing Recipes for Snacks and Accompaniments
Hing has such a strong flavor that even a small quantity is enough for a large amount of food. Apart from the usual curries and mains, asafoetida is also used to flavor many snacks and accompaniments with it. The most common way to use it is to add it to the oil, cook it for a few seconds and then add the rest of the ingredients. Khaman Dhokla, a Gujarati favorite, has a pretty mild taste till it is jazzed up with mustard seeds and hing. Even the ever favorite Vada Pav, which is made hardly with 4-5 ingredients, has a great taste of hing.
![Vada Pav]()
Vada Pav
Since asafoetida gives a pleasant umami flavor that slightly represents the taste of onion and garlic, it acts as a substitute for those flavors in Jain Recipes. Indian Jain recipes like Cooked Rice Pancakes and Masala Puri are perfect examples of how this unique spice is used in Indian Jain Cuisine. Apart from this, hing is also used for pickling.
![Masala Puris Served with Curds and Chunda, Masala Puri for Breakfast]()
Masala Puris Served with Curds and Chunda, Masala Puri for Breakfast
The addition of asafoetida makes for a tongue tickling pickle like Lehsun Ka Achaar, and these flavors are not only limited to pickles but also tangy dips like Achaari Dip.
Asafoetida Recipes for Indian Food
Another way of cooking hing is to add it to water to water and boil so that the flavor gets encompassed well. This is usually done in south Indian curries like Sambhar, where a whole blend of spices is boiled in water to get a flavor bomb in the sambhar to eat with rice, idlis or Dosas.
![Sambhar]()
Sambhar
The same way it is used in Rasam, a tomato and tamarind thin soup with varying spices. Asafoetida is cooked with a buttermilk to make flavorful Gujarati Kadhi.
![Kadhi]()
Kadhi
Asafoetida flavors rice, dals and subzi dishes as well that too in the whole of India. Starting form Brinjal Rice, Khichdis to Aloo Methi and Sagu, all these have the taste of hing. Even though it is used widely in Indian cuisine, it takes a little getting used to for the people who try it for the first time as the flavor is pungent.
![Brinjal Rice]()
Brinjal Rice
To get rid of this, but still enjoy the flavor, you can add it to tadka, or tempering, over the food.
There is no rule as to what you can add tempering to, it can vary from snacks like Vegetable Rava Idli and Khandvi to dals like Khatta Moong.
![Khandvi ( Besan Gujarati Khandvi)]()
Khandvi ( Besan Gujarati Khandvi)
Benefits of Hing
Hing ( Asafoetida) : The active compound 'coumarin' helps in managing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Asafoetida is known to have anti-bacterial properties, which helps to keep asthma at bay. Asafoetida is an age-old remedy for bloating and other stomach problems like flatulence.
![Khatta Moong ( Gujarati Recipe)]()
Khatta Moong ( Gujarati Recipe)
The best solution is to gulp down little hing with water or dissolve it in water and sip it. It can also be used along with curd or almond oil as a hair mask. It helps to prevent dryness of hair and smoothen as well as strengthen hair.
Enjoy our collection of indian asafoetida recipes below.