Asafoetida

Asafoetida powder is often described as pungent and “funky,” at least until it hits hot oil. In fact, alternate common names for this herb include devil’s sweat, devil’s dung and various other descriptive terms. But if you’ve ever visited an Indian restaurant and wondered what that unique aroma was lingering in the air, it was asafoetida. The spice provides the unmistakable characteristic flavor to tarkas, the spiced finishing sauces common to Indian cuisine. A small amount of asafoetida in cooking goes a long way. It is also usually added to hot clarified butter or oil a minute or two before other spices to get a “head start,” from which it recedes into the background as a low note and enhances the other flavors in the finished dish.