Asafoetida/Heeng

Perungayam in Tamil / Heeng in Hindi

Asafoetida is the dried latex (gum oleoresin) exuded from the living underground rhizome or tap root of several species of Ferula (three of which grow in India), which is a perennial herb.

It to consist of carbohydrates 67.8% per 100 gms, moisture 16.0%, protein 4.0%, fat 1.1%, minerals 7.0% and fiber 4.1%.

 Benefits

• Heeng or asafoetida can help to stabilise your mental health. It’s been used for centuries to help calm the nerves and reduce anxiety.
• If you’re battling high cholesterol, asafoetida can help to reduce your cholesterol levels to a healthy number.
• Asafoetida can also help to relieve problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. It does this by helping to reduce the gas in your digestive system. When gas is absorbed and reduced, you don’t have so many problems with painful intestinal cramping and discomfort.
• It’s also a reliable method for killing off intestinal parasites such as worms. It’s a natural way to relieve the body of parasites without painful side effects.
•  Topically, asafoetida can be used to treat insect bites. It can also be used to repel the insects that are doing the biting. You’ll just need to use an ointment or cream that contains asafoetida to treat your skin.
• Asafoetida can be a helpful remedy for serious coughing problems such as bronchitis or whooping cough. It helps to relieve the spasms in the airways that are causing the coughing in the first place.
• Ferula galbaniflua as well as Ferula rubricaulis are two other types of asafoetida that have a gum which is rubefacient and it has irritant qualities. Individuals responsive to these species develop contact dermatitis as a side effect.

How to use

• You can crush a small piece of hing and blend it into a smooth paste with hot water before adding it to the dish. Like this it easily mixes with the dish and it also helps in bringing out the real flavours.
• Roast a bit of heeng in hot oil for 5 -10 seconds and then add the other ingredients. Make sure to not roast it on high flame or roast it too much.
• It can also be steeped in hot water and use the water to make the base of sambar or even a soup or cook your leafy greens in it.
• You can use powdered heeng along with yogurt to marinate your food.