Fenugreek (Methi)
This Indian spice is what people say "smells like curry." Of all Indian spices, this spice may be the most essential. You may use up to a few tablespoons in a family size dish near the end of the cooking process, but start with a teaspoon. Fenugreek seeds also have many health benefits.
What is asafoetida? Asafoetida is a gum from a variety of giant fennel, which naturally has a strong and pungent smell, rather like rotting garlic (as in foetid). It's a very useful spice for those who can't or won't eat onion or garlic, as it adds a similar depth and savouriness to food.
Its flavor is distinctly savory, like an all-natural Indian MSG, and among Jains, whose diets forbid alliums like garlic, hing is as important a flavor enhancer as salt. Hing is typically fried in oil along with other spices as the flavor base for soups, stews, and legume dishes like dal.
A milky resin collected from the roots coagulates when exposed to air. It's dried in the sun and its color darkens. Raw asafoetida stinks because of its sulfur content. But there is hope: When exposed to hot oil, asafetida develops a oniony-garlicky aroma.
foetida)- Asafetida is a substance produced from the dried latex of the roots of Ferula species which are natives to the deserts of Iran and mountains of Afghanistan. It has a very strong sulphurous smell which has led it to be called “Food of the Gods” or “Devil's Dung”, depending who you talk to.
No, Hing cannot be eaten raw because it is a pungent hot spice with a bitter taste and strong smell.
In the African-American tradition of hoodoo, it was known as “Devil's Dung,” (because of its funky smell) and is used to repel evil, undo jinxes and for protection.
There is some evidence that asafoetida is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth as medicine. It might cause swelling of the lips, burping, intestinal gas, diarrhea, headache, convulsions, blood disorders, and other side effects.
asafoetida, also spelled asafetida, also called hing spice, gum resin prized as a spice in India and Iran, where it is used to flavour curries, meatballs, and pickles. Acrid in taste, it emits a strong onionlike odour because of its organic sulfur compounds.
Asafoetida is a powder made of dried gum of a root called ferula. It is known for its unpleasant smell and its delicious oniony, garlicky flavor. It is an important part of many Indian dishes. Although the powder is naturally gluten-free, it is almost always manufactured by diluting it significantly with wheat flour.
Indian food, of course, uses many aromatic spices – Jaffrey suggests that some, like methi and hing, are particularly responsible for lingering smells. The tarka process, which is central to so much Indian cooking, specifically involves frying spices to release aromas.
Asafoetida is used in savory dishes, often to add a more full flavor by mimicking the taste of onions, garlic, egg, and even meat. It's a staple ingredient in Indian cooking, commonly used along with turmeric in lentil dishes like dal, and a variety of vegetable dishes.
Still, cumin has an intimate aura that is probably accounted for by its being excreted in sweat easily, like other pungent spices, such as fenugreek.
Additionally, due to a lack of research, asafoetida isn't recommended for children or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding ( 1 ). Because it may lower blood pressure or thin blood, people on blood pressure medications or blood thinning drugs should avoid asafoetida supplements ( 4 ).
Hing Improves Sexual Drive in Men & Women
This is used to cure female infertility related problems like PCOD. In men, hing mixture prevents premature ejaculation and is a good health tonic.
Asafoetida is an amazing ingredient to promote skin health and glow. The powerful anti-inflammatory properties work well to lessen acne production and its anti-bacterial properties hinder the growth of pimples and rashes. It improves the blood flow to the facial tissue enhancing the skin radiance and glow.
As its name suggests, asafoetida has a fetid smell and a nauseating taste; characteristics that also burdened it with the name devil's dung.
In short, Hing is NOT SAFE to consume during pregnancy. With its abortifacient properties, Hing can prevent the embryo from implanting onto the uterine wall and cause it to die. Rather this property handles stimulates menstruation. Thus, consuming Hing in high quantities can lead to miscarriage.
Asafoetida is also known colloquially as "devil's dung" in English (and similar expressions in many other languages).
8) Can Hing induce periods? No, it does not cause menstruation.
Hing or Asafoetida is often confused with Monosodium Glutamate, commonly referred to as Ajinomoto – a kind of salt used widely in Chinese cuisine. Both are not the same!
The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of asafoetida help alleviate digestion problems like upset stomach, intestinal gas, intestinal worms, flatulence, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is also acts as an excellent laxative and prevents constipation.