Asafoetida smells appalling in the jar and transforms a dish the moment it hits hot oil. There is no other ingredient quite like it.

A pinch. Genuinely a pinch. Straight into the tempering, before anything else.

It goes into dal, sambar, rasam, vegetable dishes and pickles, and it is essential in Jain and Brahmin cooking where onion and garlic are avoided, because it does much the same job. Keep the lid tight or your cupboard will know.

Available at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.