Asafoetida powder

[RiJaAr]

first off, i have never tried it, but i have a recipe i have been wanting to try that asks for it, where might i buy it, and is there a substitute?

[MikeG]

[quote]It's Parsley actually[/quote]

No, not really. Not unless you consider all members of the family Apiaceae to be "parsley". But that would be rather like saying orangutans are the same thing as chimpanzees and gorillas.

[MikeG]

It lasts a long time, but not quite "indefinitely" as in forever. I just tossed a bottle that had squirmed to the back of a cupboard. Never opened, packed in 2001. Still had some aroma, but not enough to bother using. This was the compounded powder - true heera hing (the soft, natural resin) might last longer, but it's apparently not especially easy to find in India, let alone the US.

[Pupster]

I've seen it at Trader Joe's.

[ali patts]

A number of my curry recipes call for it but I never used to have any so omitted it and would not say my food was poorer for the lack of it. But then it seemed to be an additional ingredient rather than an essential one i.e. 1 tsp to 2kg of chicken when other spices are heavily prevalent.

That being said it apparently also helps wind problems so if you are having guests... Might be another urban myth...

[MikeG]

PS: I forget the very strong resin component (which is what it is), it's not exactly pine or fir-like, but along those lines.

Well, anyway, you'll find out for yourself soon enough - I just didn't want you to be prejudiced by the "smelly sweaty socks" analogy. I find that smell seriously gross, but I didn't think asafoetida was "gross" even the first time I got a whiff. It's very, very strong, but it smells like food, not damp, mildewed clothing. ;)

[MikeG]

You don't want to go heavy on the hing the first time around!

As for the smell, it actually smells quite good to me, but it is overpoweringly strong. Kind of like walking up to a wall full of dried fish in an Asian grocery store, it's arguably too much of a good thing. But if you can get past the "forest" and smell the "trees" that are the different aspects of its aroma, it's quite compelling. A little mushroom-y, a little truffle-y, a little earthy, a little barnyard-y, a little onion-garlic-y, etc., etc., all blended together. A billion or so South Asians must know something after all, no? :)

[opinionatedchef]

i use asof. powder and i absolutely agree that you need not go to extremes to get it. i will also warn you that it has a definite affect on some people's digestive system- the food that contains it often goes through your system VERY quickly.
to me, it smells and tastes a bit like garlic powder. not garlic, but garlic POWDER.

[RiJaAr]

lol, good that you mentioned that, as i tend to go heavy on the spices.. my company might never trust my cooking again lol

[Smokey]

It might be something else in the food you're preparing, or that might be something specific to you. I've never noted food with asafoetida 'going rapidly' through my system!

[Aromatherapy]

Thanks for the link, looks like a wonderful site.

[cheryl_h]

Try this link:

http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/produ...

The ishopindian site is devoted to Indian products of all kinds. I haven't ever shopped there but they're recommended by Mahanandi whose blog is a great resource for Indian cooking.

[Robert Lauriston]

There's no substitute for asafoetida, but it lasts indefinitely.

[MikeG]

For reference, I've never seen 100g jars sell for more than US$2 in Indian stores.

[allegro805]

I would say in rural SK you are right about having to shop online. Note that a small jar of this shouldn't cost you more than $5-$6 (without shipping).

I don't see any similarity to onion/garlic, but maybe that's just my sense of smell/taste.

I enjoy adding this to my Indian cooking, and it probably adds a slightly discernible base-note (most recipes don't call for more than but a pinch or quarter-teaspoon), but to be honest, I don't think any dish would really suffer from a lack of it.

All I'm saying is that I don't think it makes or breaks a dish, so if it's really difficult to get your hands on it, don't worry! I find it makes a much bigger difference to just use whole spices in my Indian cooking and grind them just before using (I use a cheap electric coffee grinder just for this purpose).

[MikeG]

It is indeed "similar" in a broad way to onions and garlic, but neither tastes the same as the other. So yeah, you can live without it, but if you're going to order spices anyway, do order this.

All you'll find will be labelled "compounded", which is fine, but you want the powder rather than the hard brown blocks. It tastes better and is a lot easier to work with. And if you don't already have a small, very tightly sealable jar handy, get one before it arrives. ;) At first sniff, it'll be hard to imagine eating it, but it won't taste the way it smells when you're done.

[kstroble]

To expand a bit on the smell - to me, the smell of Asafoetida powder closely resembles that of a sweat-drenched, rancid undershirt. You will want to store it in several airtight containers and away from other spices. But, as also mentioned, the flavor it produces when you cook with it is not at all unpleasant.

[Atomica]

I keep it wrapped up in plastic bags in the freezer.

[jen kalb]

If you are in Brooklyn, you should be able to get it at Sahadi or at Eastern Produce or one of the punjabi stores on Coney Island Ave. Any Indian store would have it (for example in the E.20s on Lex, Kalustyan, etc.Usually it is sold in little round plastic containers (yellow?).
You just use a pinch at a time, its quite strong and savory.

Im not totally clear on the onion/garlic ban - there are different rationales - the Jains generally dont eat things that have been grown down in the earth, potatoes, beets, onions, etc, because of the possibility that a living thing might be in it. - some hindu groups avoid onions and garlic, I believe because they are considered "heating" or stimulating. Asafoetida/hing is sulpherous, so it contributes similar flavor qualities as the onions/garlic.

[RiJaAr]

i am unfortunately stuck in rural saskatchewan... a long long way from brooklyn, so i think i will have to shop online

[jen kalb]

sorry, I thought I was responding to ghbrooklyn - Penzeys or Kalustyan both have it if you are shopping online. Quite essential if you are making dal or so indian dishes - you can order whole black mustard seeds, cumin seed, fennel, cinnamon stick, etc to filll out your order.

[ghbrooklyn]

Of topic, but if you are ordering spices, see if they have Anar Dana(there is another name for it too but I can't remember it at the moment) which is dried and crushed pomegranate seeds and is one of my favorite recent spice finds. Gives a sweet-sour flavor to vegetable dishes, which I think is its main use in Indian and Pakistani cooking(someone correct me please).
Another use I have found is adding it to a compound butter to be put under the skin of a roasted chicken. Damn its good!

[ghbrooklyn]

thanks jen for the onion/garlic info expansion. I am in Kensington and hing is available right around the corner from my house.
I don't think I could live without eating a beet or an onion!

[Candy]

You will see it labled HING powder. Same stuff. It should be available in store that carry Middle Eastern foods and foods from India etc.

[ghbrooklyn]

can you use onion powder or ground nigella seeds? It seems like the approximate flavor replacement.

[Smokey]

This is what I was going to suggest (if you can't find it). It's generally used as a substitute for onions and/or garlic (my understanding is that this is because those are root vegetables, and to cook them would be to kill the plant, but that's just a bone head's understanding of the world!)

[ghbrooklyn]

no that is true. It is very important in Brahman cooking(I think) because they cannot eat onions.

[Smokey]

I guess that begs the question--why can't they eat onions?!

[ghbrooklyn]

onions, garlic, alcohol and some other foods are believed to excite the body and can lead to actions that have "Karmic impact" and will hinder the spiritual quest.

[Atahualpa]

I had been told they can't eat garlic and onions because they are associated with being meat seasonings and they are therefore out due to their connection with meat. But, a lapsed brahman was one who told me this so he might not be the best of sources.

[ghbrooklyn]

I would probably be a lapsed brahman, too. I like onions too much.

[Kagey]

No, it's because garlic and onions are considered "tamasic" foods, which leave a smell and supposedly make you sluggish and dull your mind. I think you can find "tamasic" on Wikipedia if you look it up.

[joyjeet]

You can get it online (say, from amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spicy-World-Hin...) or try a local Indian grocery store.