If you're looking for an alternative to onions or garlic due to an allium intolerance or because you're on a low-FODMAP diet, consider using hing. Also known as asafetida powder, hing is the magic staple of Indian food. When heated in ghee or oil, it has a mellow garlic or leek-like aroma despite being completely unrelated to either.
Hing is a particular favorite of the Brahmin and Jain communities in India, whose religion forbids the use of onion and garlic. Because asafetida's predominant flavor is like a combination of garlic and onion, it often gets used as a base in Indian cooking.
It is made from the dried sap of a variety of giant fennel, and if made and stored properly it can be an exquisite addition to your pantry.
How to Use Hing
Hing is not a perfect substitute for garlic or onions. You can't sprinkle it on buttered toast to make a different version of garlic bread, nor does it lend texture to dishes that are defined by caramelized onions. And, it definitely does not convert in a 1:1 ratio! But it can help in recipes where you'd otherwise need those flavors.
Let me explain.
When raw, hing has a pungent smell not dissimilar to a combination of onions and sulfur because of the sulfur-containing compounds present in its essential oils. Yet Indians don't eat hing raw in their food. Traditionally, a pinch of it is cooked for a minute or so in melted ghee or other oils at the beginning of the recipe. This oil is then used immediately to continue on with cooking your vegetables or meat. When prepared according to this method, hing takes on a warm garlicky aroma and supercharges all the other spices in the pan like a secret weapon.
It makes everything taste better, adding an addictive depth to recipes, the sum being far more than the parts in the same way a symphony comes together from sometimes dissonant instruments and notes.
So, when you find a recipe where onion or garlic powder would do the trick and need a solid substitute, a pinch of hing can come to the rescue. You'll just need to adapt your recipe so you can temper the hing first in the cooking oil to create the necessary aroma and flavor. Then, of course, skip adding the onions and garlic.
For more on this, read How to Cook with Hing.
Is Hing Low FODMAP?
Yes. It has been lab-tested by Monash University and is on their list of recommended low FODMAP herbs and spices.
If you're on a low FODMAP diet to treat SIBO or IBS, asafetida powder is a safe allium alternative! The key is to make sure that the hing you're using is free of wheat flour, starch, or other unsuitable anti-caking agents or preservatives. Thankfully, our hing really is the best ever. Unlike most other brands, ours is 100% raw and non-irradiated and is wheat and starch free.