Bengali Five Spice (Panch Phoron) is a quintessential Bengali spice blend, used in almost every dish. It’s a mixture of five spices, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and kalo jeereh (black cumin). The ingredients are toasted and ground together.

Tulsidas has already given us a wonderful writeup on the history of Panch Phoron , which I suggest you go through if you are interested in learning more about the history of this spice blend.

Here I will focus on the ingredients and their uses in the kitchen.

Mustard seeds: These are the most important ingredient; each Bengali household will have it’s own blend for this. They are highly volatile and release an acrid smell once they hit hot oil. Always buy mustard seeds from a reputable vendor; avoid buying them from open markets where there is no control over the quality of the product. The best mustard seeds come from Kolkata; Meghna brands are good. Cumin Seeds: Cumin adds earthy flavor to many dishes and is also used as a medicine in many countries around the world. Fenugreek Seeds: These seeds have a unique aroma that goes well

Bengali Five Spice is a spice blend used in the cuisines of West Bengal, India. It contains whole mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and kalonji/nigella seeds.

‘Panch’ means ‘five’ and ‘phoron’ means ‘seeds’.

This spice mix is used to flavor vegetables and fish. It is also used in Bengali cuisine to flavor lentils, dals, curries (especially during winter) and various pickles. This blend can be easily purchased from Indian grocery stores or online. Panch phoron is also known as “Bengali five spices”.

Taste: The taste of Bengali Five Spice varies from person to person because it depends on the kind of salt and oil added to the mixture. Some people add black salt (kala namak) to make it salty, while others prefer adding ghee or mustard oil for its pungent taste.

Panch phoron is a spice blend that is a key ingredient in many Indian dishes. It has a mixture of whole spices that are dry roasted and ground together to make this spice blend.

Panch Phoron is called by other names depending on which part of India you are from. In Bengal, the name for Panch Phoron is “Bena” in Marathi it’s called “Sarvajanik Powder” and in Gujarati it’s called “Chaat Masala” or “Pav Bhaji Masala”. But no matter what you call it, the blend always consists of 5 spices. The name Panch Phoron comes from the Bengali word “panch”, which means five, and phoron meaning spices.

Panch Phoron is an aromatic mix of whole spices commonly used in cooking Bengali cuisine. The ingredients include fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds and kalonji (nigella) seeds. Each spice has a unique flavor that enhances the overall flavor of food when combined with other ingredients. Panch Phoron can be used in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.

This spice blend can be sprinkled

Panch phoron is a mixture of five spices used commonly in Bengali cuisine. The name Panch Phoron means “five spices” or “five flavors.” Panch Phoron is made from cumin, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, mustard and kalonji (nigella) seeds. This mixture is generally used along with onions and garlic in oil to flavor dishes. It is considered as essential as salt in Bengali cuisine.**

Panch Phoron is a spice blend commonly used in Bengali cuisine. It contains five or more dry spices. The name can be literally translated as “five spices”, but panch is often translated as “five” and phoron as “dry seeds”. The composition of Panch Phoron varies by region. In Bangladesh, it usually contains fenugreek, nigella, black mustard, fennel and cumin seeds.

The spicing ingredients – mustard, cumin, nigella, fenugreek and fennel – are called potherbs in the Indian subcontinent.

Panch Phoron is a spice blend from Bengal, India. It has a unique flavor and it’s traditional to the area. It’s a blend of five spices, usually mustard seed, nigella seed, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and kalonji (nigella) or onion seeds. The five spices can be toasted, fried or roasted before use as a way to enhance their flavor.

Panch Phoron is used in Bengali cuisine as a condiment with fish and vegetable dishes. It can also be sprinkled over dal and vegetables like cabbage or cauliflower. Panch Phoron is often confused with panch puran which is made up of nine spices: mustard, cumin, nigella, fenugreek, fennel, kalonji (onion) seeds, radhuni (long pepper), black salt and asafoetida.

Panch phoron is used in the same way that black pepper is used in Western cuisine. Some people even use this spice mix as a rub for goat meat! The unique flavors are wonderful on fish dishes and it’s so simple to make at home. You can make this blend using whole spices or you can buy it ready-made

Panch phoron is a quintessential spice mix of Bengali cuisine. It’s a collection of five spices (also known as panch phoron) which are very essential in Bengali cooking. Here I am going to share my experience, ideas and recipes with you.

I have an interest in cooking and try to experiment with different ingredients, new ways of cooking and different cuisines. I am not a professional cook, but I like to share what I know about cooking with everyone who has an interest in learning about it.

The first recipe that I would like to share is one that uses up almost all the five spices from panch phoron. It’s quite a handy mix to have in your kitchen and will be used frequently if you learn this recipe.

This recipe is really easy to make and doesn’t need many ingredients: 1 tsp mustard oil, 2 tsp dried red chilli, 3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds, 1/4 tsp black cumin seeds, 1/4 cup sesame seeds and salt to taste.*

You can use the mixture for making dishes like potato pakora or kushum bhaja or even use it as a marinade for