Asafoetida (hing) in onion-free cooking
Asafoetida is a resin (usually compounded with flour). A pinch in hot ghee is a classic Jain and many Brahmin tadkas, and it also appears alongside onion in everyday dal.
Culinary differences only. Traditional use is not scientific evidence of a medical effect.
Asafoetida
हींग · Ferula assa-foetida
Resin spice (hing). Compounded products may contain gluten.
Full guide →Flavour and kitchen job
Raw hing smells sulphurous; cooked in fat it turns savoury.
When to use which
- Use hing in dal tadka, sambar, and kadhi, especially when you are not using onion-garlic.
- If you already have a full onion-garlic base, hing is optional — a pinch still adds depth.
Buy compounded hing as sold for cooking. A grain of raw resin goes further than you think.
Recipes
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