Asafoetida
ah-suh-FET-ih-duh
Ferula assa-foetida
Pungent, sulfurous raw, oniony cooked.
What it is
Asafoetida is the dried sap of giant fennel-like Ferula plants, sold as a resin or a flour-cut yellow powder, and known in Indian kitchens as hing. Raw, it smells so strongly sulfurous that one old name translates as devil's dung, but a pinch bloomed in hot oil transforms into a savory, onion-and-garlic depth. That is exactly why it is prized in much Indian vegetarian cooking, including by cooks who avoid onion and garlic. It is potent enough that a tiny amount seasons a whole pot of lentils. Always cook it; never use it raw.
What it pairs with
Goes wrong with: raw dishes; it must be cooked to mellow.
Common in Indian cooking.
Whole vs ground
Asafoetida is sold as a hard resin or, more often, a fine yellow powder cut with flour. The powder is the practical form. A tiny pinch is all any dish needs.
How to handle it
Bloom a small pinch in hot oil for a few seconds at the start of cooking. Raw it is harsh and sulfurous; cooked in fat it turns savory and oniony.
Storage
Airtight and very well sealed, away from other spices, which it will perfume. The powder keeps about a year.
Buying note
Most powder is cut with flour, so check whether it is gluten-free if that matters. A little tub lasts a very long time.
Classic dishes
dal tadka, sambar, vegetable curries, pickles.
Out of asafoetida? Substitutes
No substitute is exact. These are the closest by flavor behavior, with the ratio to start from and how the result will differ.
| Use instead | Ratio | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| a little onion and garlic powder | use more, to taste | gives the savory allium note, missing asafoetida's depth |
One odd thing
Asafoetida smells so foul raw that one of its old names means devil's dung, yet cooked in oil it turns into a savory onion-and-garlic flavor.