Indians tend to indulge in a lot of heavy and oily food, which results in gas, flatulence and bloating. There is no denying the fact that bloating can turn out to be quite annoying. The discomfort caused in the digestive tract can indeed give you a hard time. If you have been looking for ways to keep indigestion at bay, bring hing to your rescue. Hing, or asafoetida, is one of the wonder spices that can bring relief to gas problem immediately. Not only is it used to enhance the taste of various delicacies, but it is added to foods that are tough to digest.
The book 'Healing Spices' by Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD with Deborah Yost says, "Regular ingestion of the spice can help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, including intestinal cramping, bloating and gas." Asafoetida is a frequent flavouring in Indian curries. It's also a key ingredient in the Indian spice mix chaat masala, which is used in side dishes and snack foods.
According to Ayurveda expert, Dr. Ashutosh Gautam, "Hing is used as a spice in food. It has both appetite stimulant action and digestive properties. Hing is to be sauteed in ghee before use." The best way to use the powder is to fry it in oil at the beginning of cooking. That will dispel the odour before you add other ingredients. Another useful way to consume hing is to mix some of it in a glassful of water and then add a dash of black salt to it to enhance its taste. Hing water is said to reduce stomach problems to a great extent.
So, the next time you prepare any meal, do add a bit of hing to it and say bye-bye to indigestion woes.
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