Asafoetida

SoapAlchemist

SoapAlchemist

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I'm working less at the job that pays and more at the one that doesn't i.e. making soap. However, this has also left me more time to do some proper cooking. I'm on a bit of a curry binge at the moment (this is a really simple and really great recipe that doesn't require 25 different spices and tastes way better than many that do <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghJEJ2_8ksw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghJEJ2_8ksw</a><!-- m --> - I invite you all to cooook it :D ).
Anyway, our current diet is as a result including a lot of lentils and beans. HWMOM is reacting to this diet in a pretty explosive way......and it's not just him that suffers as a result. :lol:
So, does the asafoetida work? And how does it taste in the food, and how much to add?
Also, bit of a long shot, but I noticed on Wiki that it has been used as an antiepileptic. I have a friend who is majorly affected with this, and medication not helping much. Anyone tried this, and if so how? Just in the curry, or is more needed?
 
We have curry reasonably regularly and a few of them call for asafoetida though I'm not really sure what it adds to the dish. I've just gone and taken a sniff and it's not very appetising by itself, in fact rather strange. And now I've just looked it up here which seems to confirm that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida

It also mentions that it helps prevent flatulence. The recipe on the side of the asafoetida jar is for a dahl, so that would make sense I suppose, seeing as all those lentils can cause blazing saddles.

Oh, and thanks for pointing me towards YouTube cooking. I'd never even thought of looking there for recipes.
 
Me neither PC, but I guarantee that if you cooook the one in the link, you won't be disappointed. We had three different recipes on the plate last night of various curries (they do also seem to improve with storing/ freezing) and the one in the link I posted was far and away the easiest to cooook and the yummiest.
But back to the topic....does it really work? I did have a little pot years ago, and it surely stinks, but a small pinch in the curry and I couldn't notice it. And I personally don't have the problem it is supposed to solve. :roll: Well, not as much as HWMOM.
 
I'll keep this in mind for next time we cooook a curry that has asafoetida in and report back. ;) I expect one or two others here will know more about this anyway...
 
It works for dahl & jerusalem artichoke soup, not much required (1/2 tsp or so) per recipe. Smells foul but cooks out to leave oniony flavour.
 
We often make a chickpea curry (from this recipe book) which is very nice. If I use dried chickpeas, I always add a pinch of asafoteida (along with other spices) to the liquid that they are simmered in. It does seem to help. :mrgreen:
 
What's interesting about asafoetida is that if you break down the word "asafoetida" you get "as a foetid A", where "A" is an abbreviation for 4rse that gets through swear filters, and "foetid" is an old spelling of a word that means "having a stale nauseating smell".

Well I thought it was interesting anyway.
 
You can call hing, too.

Use very little of it, it gives a great taste but it also has "a sweet spot" if you add too much it ruins your food. You can also see shops selling asafoetida in crystallic form they claim you can grind it for yourself, it's also cheaper... it's also a pain! It jump all over the place when you try to grind it in a mortar so better be a conformist and less cool and buy the powdered form (which is usually mixed with flour to remain powdery and not stick back together again).

I use it for lentil soups (daals) it gives a nice oniony smell/taste to it.
 
Callled 'Devils droppings' in Dutch. My sources mention that it is actually a substitute for onions in several areas in India where onions are a no-no, can't remember for what reason. Swapping onions for asafoetida would probably explain the effect on flatulence - no onions, less flatulence... Whether it works for counteracting pulses, I do not know. But somehow i doubt it.
 
dont know about asafoetida but epasote does have the effect you are looking for dont know how it would taste in a curry though <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphania_ambrosioides">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphania_ambrosioides</a><!-- m -->
 
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