Hing intensity?

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

over the years i have tried only one kind of hing in indian cooking..

i'm now about the get a new, more intense hing from iherb and i'm not sure how much less should i use it in cooking if it is more intense..

do you have an idea for how to decide?

 

[HeyItsSara]

I don't know what Hing is.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

Asafoetida Is the Spice That Makes My Indian Food Taste, Well, Indian

A pinch of funky hing makes every other spice come through.

www.bonappetit.com

 

[HeyItsSara]

Oh, wow. That is definitely not commonly sold in America.

 

[dragnlaw]

Hey Sara - maybe not common but certainly sold here

Asafoetida, also known as hing, devil's dung and stinking gum, is a dried and powdered resin from the giant fennel plant. It has an odd and slightly unpleasant smell, but the sulphur compounds mellow with cooking and the result is a flavour similar to onion or garlic.

Seeing - think you'll have to wait on those members here who do a lot of Indian style cooking.

 

[pepperhead212]

A lot of hing is "diluted", and asafoetida is often not even the main ingredient in the container. In fact, early on, the only way I could get "pure" asafoetida, was to get it in the crystalline form, but the few stores around here stopped carrying that, and back then, Amazon didn't have much of it, so I had to get it on ebay, directly from India! When I first did this I couldn't believe the strength of it! And they had two of the crystals - one brown, one yellow, which are what they use to dissolve in oil, or water, so I got some of each of those, plus some powder, which was described as 80%. I also got some dried fenugreek leaves, which was stronger than any other dried leaves I ever had - I guess, just incredibly fresh! Now, there is some powder I get from Amazon that is labeled "100% asafoetida powder" - Naturevibe. And it is potent!

I use asafoetida a lot of times when making some cooked beans or grains to use in something, and want to get that onion/garlic flavor in an easy way. In india, there is a division of Hinduism termed Jainism, which has a different cuisine, not allowing root vegetables, like onion, garlic, and many others (though asafoetida is a rhizome, as well as ginger and turmeric, and they are allowed). The asafoetida is used a lot, in place of the onion and garlic.

 

[blissful]

For a year or so we used hing, to both add the flavor of garlic/onion and to relieve gas. It is often recommended to use when increasing legumes in meals to settle the gut and relieve gas.
Chewing fennel seeds, or candied fennel seeds are also a remedy.
The hing I'm using is mostly rice powder.

I don't know how much you should use. I would try a tiny amount and see if it adds enough garlic/onion flavor for your taste. Then increase it until it gives you what you want in flavor.

It's good to hear NatureVibe is a good source for asafoetida.

 

[Badjak]

Start by using a lot less than the recipe says.
Maybe 25 to 50%, then keep tasting

I do use hing, but quite often still put onion and garlic

 

[pepperhead212]

I also use it in many dishes with onion and garlic. In dishes with a tarka added at the end, a little asafoetida is usually added at the very end, with the curry leaves, then stirred in at the end. The things where I use it instead of onion and garlic are usually beans or lentils, sometimes with whole grains added, that I use in salads, or pasta dishes, especially in the summer, just to add some flavor to them, but I don't want to waste a whole onion in the pot, like most things like that do.

 

[Rascal]

Even I have it.. I do Indian a lot

Russ

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

I also got some dried fenugreek leaves

i don't know why these leafs when dried are called in israel "shambalala"..

thanks for the info
about hing
is it safe in your opinion and not containing something unwanted?

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

For a year or so we used hing, to both add the flavor of garlic/onion and to relieve gas. It is often recommended to use when increasing legumes in meals to settle the gut and relieve gas.
Chewing fennel seeds, or candied fennel seeds are also a remedy.
The hing I'm using is mostly rice powder.

I don't know how much you should use. I would try a tiny amount and see if it adds enough garlic/onion flavor for your taste. Then increase it until it gives you what you want in flavor.

It's good to hear NatureVibe is a good source for asafoetida.

can you add more hing at the end of cooking if it is not enough?

 

[blissful]

can you add more hing at the end of cooking if it is not enough?

It's been a few years since I cooked with it and I don't remember if I used it only when cooking it or it could be added at the end. I'm guessing @pepperhead212 or @Badjak or @Rascal might know.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

can i taste some hing right from the jar? or perhaps it is too intense or may have some bacteria and needs cooking?

tnxxxxx

 

[Badjak]

It got an intense smell/taste, which changes when cooked/fried, so tasting it raw is probably safe but not going to help you.
It's not uncommon in this respect. Similar happens to chili bean paste, fish sauce, shrimp paste etc.
They don't smell good, but taste great

(Edit: last line is supposed to be "but taste great when used in a dish/meal. Not on its own)

 

[pepperhead212]

I wouldn't taste it from the jar, but in India it is actually used for various medicinal purposes, like many spices, and they actually stir some into water, and drink it - quickly, I'm sure, to get rid of the flavor quickly! Here's a link, giving a lot of things hing is used for, and a few paragraphs down, a section on "benefits of hing". Then, over 2,000 recipes it is used in.

2122 asafoetida recipes | indian hing recipes | Tarladalal.com

 

[BAPyessir6]

can i taste some hing right from the jar? or perhaps it is too intense or may have some bacteria and needs cooking?

tnxxxxx

I've personally eaten it straight from the naturevibe bag. A tiny spoon of it! I like to taste everything I can before I use it for the first time to know what it'll add to the dish (except meats and stuff you understand. I'm not THAT crazy ). It's strong, kind of stinky like cheese, kinda like a burning candle, but not as bad as it seems. And I'm still walking and kicking!!

 

[BAPyessir6]

I guess, just incredibly fresh! Now, there is some powder I get from Amazon that is labeled "100% asafoetida powder" - Naturevibe. And it is potent!

I use asafoetida a lot of times when making some cooked beans or grains to use in something, and want to get that onion/garlic flavor in an easy way. In india, there is a division of Hinduism termed Jainism, which has a different cuisine, not allowing root vegetables, like onion, garlic, and many others (though asafoetida is a rhizome, as well as ginger and turmeric, and they are allowed). The asafoetida is used a lot, in place of the onion and garlic.

I was worried reading this that I didn't actually have pure hing. Then I realized that I use/bought the exact brand you mentioned!