Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Break the asafoetida resin into smaller pieces and add to the pan. Fry for around 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces turn a shade darker and become brittle enough to crush. This enhances the flavor.

Tip: Place the resin pieces between two sheets of parchment paper and roll a rolling pin over them to flatten them before frying. This increases the surface area for more even cooking.

Once cooked, remove the asafoetida pieces from the pan and allow to cool completely. They will become very hard. Place them into a mortar and pestle and grind them into a coarse powder. You can also use a food processor or blender instead.

Keep grinding to your desired texture - a fine powder blends into cooking more seamlessly. If making in batches, combine all batches together at the end.

Tip: Add a small amount of rice flour or wheat flour (around 10% of the total volume) to absorb any oils released during grinding and to prevent clumping.

Transfer the finished asafoetida powder into an airtight glass jar. Store it away from heat, light, and moisture to retain aroma and prevent it from clumping back together. It will keep well for 6 months or longer.

And you're all done! Now you have homemade hing powder to add incredible depth of flavor to your Indian dishes.