Hing
Asafoetida, a pungent resin that smells strongly raw and turns savoury, onion-like once fried.
Also: asafoetida, perungayam, inguva, devil's dung
Hing is the dried latex of the roots of Ferula plants that grow in Iran and Afghanistan. Raw, the lump smells intensely of sulphur, which earned it names such as devil's dung. Fried briefly in hot oil, the smell mellows into something close to cooked onion and garlic. In India it is sold as a powder cut with rice flour or gum, and a pinch goes into dal, kadhi, sambar and pickles. Jain cooks and many Hindu households that avoid onion and garlic rely on it for savoury depth. It is also traditional in Kashmiri Pandit cooking. Keep it in a tight jar, or its smell will scent everything nearby.