Would you put something in your curry that smells so strong you immediately want to put the lid back on?
If you’ve ever opened a packet of asafoetida, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Also called hing, it’s one of those ingredients that can make beginners hesitate. The name is unfamiliar. The smell is powerful. And “add a tiny pinch” can feel like a rather vague instruction.
But give it the right moment in the pan, and you’ll understand why it earns its place in my spice kit.
What exactly is asafoetida?
Asafoetida is a dried gum resin obtained from Ferula plants. Unlike cumin or mustard, it isn’t a seed, although we use it as a spice.
You’ll usually find it sold as a powder, often blended with ingredients such as rice flour, wheat flour or gum to make its intense flavour easier to use. That means different products can vary considerably in strength.
The name to remember is hing. If a recipe asks for hing or asafoetida, it’s referring to the same ingredient.
Why is it brilliant?
Because a tiny amount adds a savoury depth that’s much gentler than its raw smell suggests.
Once briefly cooked in oil or ghee, hing brings an onion-and-garlic-like character to food. It’s particularly useful in dishes made without either ingredient, but you can also use it alongside them.
Think of it as another layer in your curry.
Cumin brings its earthy aroma. Mustard seeds bring their distinctive bite. Hing adds a savoury background that supports the other flavours.
It’s especially lovely with lentils, potatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas. Simple ingredients give that little pinch room to make a difference.
You’re aiming for a delicious curry, rather than an obvious taste of hing.
Where does hing fit in my Curry Map™?
In my Curry Map™, hing belongs in Stage 1: Heat, Fat & Tadka.
This is where we start building flavour in the oil, before the onions go in.
Tadka means briefly cooking spices in hot fat to release their flavour and aroma. Hing joins towards the end of this stage because it needs only a brief moment in the pan.
Although it comes as a powder, hing goes into your Stage 1 tadka. Keep it separate from the curry masalas you use later.
That’s one of the most useful things about understanding the Curry Map™: you learn where an ingredient belongs and what you’re trying to achieve with it.
How to use hing, step by step
1. Have your next ingredients ready.
Chop your onions before you start. Once the hing goes in, you need to keep moving.
2. Warm your oil or ghee.
Look for a gentle shimmer. You don’t want a smoking pan.
3. Build your tadka.
Follow the whole-spice sequence in your Curry Map™, allowing the spices to release their aromas.
4. Lower the heat and add a tiny pinch of hing.
Stir immediately. Give it just a few seconds in the hot fat.
5. Move straight on to your onions.
Don’t leave the hing frying while you prepare something else. It catches quickly, and burnt hing can make the base taste bitter.
Your cue is a warm, savoury aroma rising from the pan. Don’t wait for the hing to turn brown.
Now your onions are going into oil that already carries flavour.
How much should you use?
Start with a tiny pinch and check the instructions on your packet.
Strength varies, particularly between everyday compounded powders and concentrated hing. A spoonful of one product is not equivalent to a spoonful of another.
For your first attempt, keep the quantity small. You can decide whether you want a little more next time.
And if you avoid gluten, check the label: some powdered hing contains wheat flour.
Try it in your next curry
You don’t need to add hing to every dish. But it’s a brilliant ingredient to understand—and far less intimidating once you’ve used it.
A tiny pinch. A few seconds. Another layer of flavour before your onions even begin to cook.
That’s the thinking behind my Curry Confidence Kit™ with Printed Guide. Hing is included among the seven individually packed tadka spices, and the Curry Confidence Manual™ walks you through the six-stage Curry Map™ with visual readiness cues.
Explore the Curry Confidence Kit™ and learn what to add, when to add it, and what to look for in your pan.
