Savory Masa Mushroom Tempura

Plus, a closer look at Asafoetida, a powerhouse Indian spice to add to your arsenal.

I have long since been mystified by the essential Indian spice blend, asafoetida. It has a permanent place in every Indian pantry, with its stealthy way of slipping into the background of the finished dish. Also called hing in Hindi, asafoetida comes from the sap of the roots of the ferula plant, most commonly used in Indian cooking, but endemic to Iran. It has an uncanny similarity to onion powder with an extra sulfuric tinge, and is used in Ayurvedic cooking where alliums are a no-no. According to Ayurvedic principles, alliums generate heat in the body. Onion is thought to make people irritable and garlic to drain energy, and they are used with intention, not for flavor alone. By contrast, asafoetida is used to treat excessive gas, always a plus.

Ferula assa-foetida plant, from which Asafoetida powder is derived.

Most often, asafoetida is sold in powdered form, mixed with wheat or rice flour to prevent clumping (if you’re GF be sure to check the ingredients, the basic Indian brand is made with wheat). I am seeing the high end brands like Burlap & Barrel mix theirs with turmeric, giving it that gorgeous marigold orange color. Add the powder in cooking fat so it can bloom, not at the end as a finishing touch. It needs to become part of the DNA of the dish.

left: Burlap and Barrel Wild Hing, right: L.G Asafoetida Powder

In truth, once you start working asafoetida powder into your cooking, you can’t stop. Like miso or fish sauce, you can always find a place for an umami burst in unexpected places, like my Masa Tempura Mushrooms down below. I make this simple masa harina batter, which keeps for a couple of days in the fridge (note: masa harina is not the same a maseca, which is a corn flour. Masa harina has been nixtamilized and has a totally different flavor and texture. It’s what you use to make corn tortillas). The recipe works well with hen of the woods, sliced trumpets, and oyster shrooms, but I love what happens to the lion’s mane mushroom when fried — the center becomes smooth and silky, protected by a crunchy, light crust. (I am sharing a 15% discount at Masienda, my preferred course for masa, eligible site wide until 12/31).

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Masa Tempura Mushrooms

• 1 cup Masienda masa harina

• 3 tablespoons Mochiko sweet rice flour

• 1 ¼ teaspoons asafoetida