Hing powder also known as asafoetida is a strong aroma spice reminiscent of the mixture of onion and garlic. It has a very strong bitter taste and unpleasant garlic-like aroma. Though hing powder doesn’t have that good smell, adding it to the dishes gives a unique taste.
As it has a very sharp taste and smell, it is mixed with other powders to decrease its strong smell and taste. In order to reduce the flavor of hing powder, it is usually mixed with rice, wheat flour, and mix sold in the form of powder.
Even if you are using the hing power that you bought from the market, you need to use a pinch of hing powder on any dishes. A pinch or few pinches are enough to add flavor to the dishes.
Hing powder is popularly used in curries, soup, and vegetable dishes. Also, you can add hing powder while cooking mushrooms for an intense aroma. You need to use it in tiny amounts and strong it in the air-tight container.
Actually, hing powder has health benefits. It is known as a powerful digestion stimulant. Also, it reduces flatulence, so it is recommended to add a pinch of the spices into heavy dishes containing potato, cabbage, and legumes.
Hing powder also goes well with dal. You can use hing in different ways while preparing dal. Below are three different ways of preparing dal. You can choose any recipe according to your convenience.
Hing Powder Dal: Recipe 1
Ingredients:
- Moong dal
- Jeera
- Chili powder
- Ghee
- Hing
- Salt
- Garam masala
- Water
Instructions:
- In a bowl, soak 200 g of moong dal. Don’t forget to wash it before you soak the dal. You have to soak the dal for about an hour.
- After heat, the pan then adds water, salt, half teaspoon turmeric powder, two teaspoons ghee, and moong dal.
- Mix it well and boil it for 10 minutes on a medium-low flame.
- After 10 minutes, heat another pan on another stove. Add half teaspoon ghee, one teaspoon jeera, and half teaspoon hing.
- Stir it for a few seconds and pour it in the dal.
- Stir the dal. It’s ready to be served.
Hing Powder Dal: Recipe 2
This hing powder dal recipe uses a little more ingredients than the first recipe. If you think the first recipe is pretty plain, you can try this recipe. This recipe doesn’t require much effort, and you can prepare it easily with basic ingredients available in your kitchen.
Ingredients:
- Turmeric powder
- Cumin seeds
- Ghee
- Hing
- Moong dal
- Salt
- Coriander leaves
- Green chili
- Water
Instructions:
- Drain two cups of moong dal under running water. Then soak it for an hour.
- After an hour you can start preparation. Take one green chili and slit it lengthwise. Then chop a bunch of coriander leaves. Put slit green chili, and chopped coriander leaves aside for later use.
- This recipe requires a pressure cooker, so in the pressure cooker, heat one tablespoon ghee. After ghee melts, add one teaspoon of cumin seeds. Fry it in a low medium flame until it turns golden brown.
- Then add hind and stir it well. Don’t increase the flame.
- After that, you need to add moong dal fry it for 3 minutes. Keep stirring in an interval.
- Next, you need to add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, slip green chili, and salt as per your taste.
- Also, add one and a half cups of water.
- Close the pressure cooker and cook it for 3 whistles.
- Switch off the stove and allow the pressure cooker to release naturally. Open the lid and gently mash the dal.
- Garnish the dal with chopped coriander leaves.
Hing Powder Dal: Recipe 3
This third recipe uses more spices. It uses more ingredients than recipe one, and it is a lot more flavorful. This recipe is perfect for serving when the guest arrives.
Ingredients:
- Red lentils- one and a half cups
- Vegetable broth- 4 cups
- Diced tomatoes-2
- Salt- 1 teaspoon
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Yellow mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Green chili- 1
- Chopped ginger and garlic- 2 teaspoons
- Finely chopped onion- half cup
- Turmeric powder- half teaspoon
- Cinnamon powder
- Clove powder
- Lime juice
- Chopped coriander
- Salt
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a skillet on a high flame. After a minute, add mustard and cumin seeds. Fry it for few seconds until the mustard begins to pop.
- Lower the flame to medium, then add chopped ginger, garlic, and chilies. You need to fry it for few seconds.
- Then add finely chopped onion and fry until it turns golden-brown color. Fry and stir it for about 6 minutes.
- Now you need to add all the powder spices. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, hing, coriander, chili powder, and few pinches. Stir spices to combine
- Then add lentils, vegetable broth, tomatoes, and salt as per your taste. Stir and bring it to boil.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn of the flame, then add one teaspoon lime juice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.