asafoetida (hing)

This yellowish powder or lump of resin is made from the dried latex of a type of fennel. Asafoetida has an extremely pungent smell which has earned it the name ‘devil’s dung’. It is used to make pulses and legumes more digestible and Hindu Brahmins and Jains use it instead of garlic and onions which are forbidden to them. Asafoetida is always fried to calm its aroma. It comes in small airtight containers and is available from Indian food shops.