Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A-Z Challenge 2014: 'A' for Asafoetida

Asafoetida is available in the form of a gum as well as powder. Asafoetida or Hing (हिंग) is used in Indian cooking and has a powerful flavour that one needs to get used to. It’s excellent for digestion and adds a special aroma to Indian curries. Drinking a glass of buttermilk with a pinch of Hing powder after a heavy dinner aids digestion.

It also acts as a coolant and is used liberally in mango & lemon pickles in South India. Usually, in Tamil Nadu, we avoid combining Asafoetida and Onions in the same dish as they beat each other’s flavours.

Asafoetida also has a number of useful side effects. It builds body resistance and keeps the regular user free from cold and fever.

ASAFOETIDA
Pic Courtesy: http://www.sunstarinvestments.co.za

Wikipedia says: Asafoetida is the dried gum exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula, a perennial herb. The species is native to the deserts of Iran, mountains of Afghanistan, and is mainly cultivated in nearby India. As its name suggests, asafoetida has a fetid smell but in cooked dishes it delivers a smooth flavour. It is also known as asant, food of the gods, giant fennel, jowani badian, stinking gum, Devil's dung, hing, kayam and ting.

A-Z Challenge 2014
'A' for Asafoetida
'B' for Bananas
'C' for Chin Mudra
'D' for Dance Therapy
'E' for Elephant Yam
'F' for Fenugreek Seeds



18 comments:

  1. Know about it medically :) I'm not sure mom uses it much. Then again I can't be sure that she doesn't.

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    1. Thank you Leo for stopping by my blog and posting a comment :)

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  2. Hmmm hing, I can almost smell it now , love it when it goes into my baghaar, I use it almost in everything :)

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  3. The best home remedy for babies and their Colic attacks/Gas. Add a lil of the paste to their morning ghuti or apply the paste around their navel area. The Gas is taken care of immediately. In Ghuti you have to add it daily, to forget about evening Colic attacks.

    I never liked Hing earlier. After my son, I keep advising it to all new parents and try to add to my dishes whenever I can.

    Good write up Sundari, you got me thinking too :D

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    1. Thank you Nilima for adding extra value to my post. So glad to have the views of a young mother here :D

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  4. Hi Sundari. An informative post. Looking forward to reading more. And, thanks for dropping by.

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  5. I am told that Hing gets rid of the flatulence causing elements in any food. I guess that is why the use of it is quite extensive in Indian cooking espcially dishes which involves pulses, legumes, beans. I understand bayleaf is also used fo the same purpose. The arom of hing seasoning is fantastic :) Thanks for sharing.

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    1. This is great! Your sharing more info about Hing. Thank you! I love hing too :)

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  6. I love the aroma of hing in sambar and some other dishes. :)

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  7. Well Mom instilled hing baghar in everything you cook....i still follow her mantra

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  8. Thanks for this one and Hing helps. I love ur theme on health benefits:)

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    1. You are welcome! Thanks for stopping by and posting a comment :)

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  9. We use hing in small amounts for sambar, dal and the like! Good to know about the medical benefits!

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    1. Hi Roshni, Thanks for stopping by and posting a comment!

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