What is asafoetida?
Asafoetida
A pungent dried plant resin used in Indian cooking, also called hing, that tastes like onion and garlic once it hits hot oil.
What it tastes like
Raw, it smells sulfurous and funky. Fried in a pinch of oil it turns savory, mellow and leek-like.
Where you’ll see it
Dals, sambar, pickles and vegetable curries, especially in South Indian and Jain cooking that skips onion and garlic.