I have been seeing panch phoron in the grocery stores of America and was curious to know what it is. I have seen people adding this spice to their pickles and also while making some Indian food. So, I decided to do some research on panch phoron and found out that it is a mix of five spices: fenugreek, nigella, fennel, cumin, and mustard. Panch Phoron is very popular in India and Bangladesh.
I tried to find out the taste if this spice mix but couldn’t get any idea about the taste as there are only few recipes available online which use this spice mix. So, I thought of writing a blog on this amazing Indian spice mix and share my recipes with all of you.
This blog will help you to learn about panch phoron, how to make it at home, how to store it and how to use it in your every day cooking.
The first recipe I am going to share with you is how to make panch phoron at home.
Panch phoron is a blend of five spices that is a signature blend of Bengali cuisine. Panch means five and phoron means mixed spices, so panch phoron is literally “five mixed spices.” The five spices are cumin, mustard seeds, fenugreek, kalonji (nigella), and fennel seeds.
TIP: To know more about panch phoron, please visit our website www.panchphoron.com
Panch phoron is an Indian spice mixture used in many parts of India. You can buy it in store, but you can also make your own by mixing equal amounts of five or six different whole spices. The ones I use are:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (dalchini)
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (methi)
1 tsp. black mustard seeds (rai)
1/8 tsp. nigella or onion seeds (kalonji)
1/8 tsp. cloves (laung)
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds (saunf)
You could also add a half teaspoon of turmeric and a half teaspoon of cumin if you like, but that’s not traditional. All the spices should be whole, not ground, so they retain their flavor as long as possible. I keep mine in a small mason jar with a tight-fitting lid and just shake it each time before using it.
Panch phoron is a mixture of five spices used in many Indian dishes. Before we begin cooking, it is important to know how to assemble this spice mix.
In the picture below you will see five different spices. The one on the far left is black mustard seed, the second one is fenugreek seed, the third one is cumin seed, the fourth one is kalonji (nigella) seeds and the fifth one is fennel seed.
Tumeric root has become a more common ingredient in Panch Phoron but it traditionally contains only these five seeds/spices.
Panch phoron is a spice blend used in Bengali cooking. It’s an all-purpose spice, containing five spices that vary depending on what region of India you are from:
Nigella seeds (kalonji or black onion seeds) Cumin seeds Fenugreek seeds Fennel seeds Mustard seeds
Panch phoron is added to hot oil and allowed to sizzle until the cumin and mustard seeds begin to pop. This technique is called tempering, and it’s a common way in which Indian cooks add flavor to their dishes.
Tuscan Whole Wheat Bread
Panch phoron is a mixture of five whole spices used in Indian cooking. Each spice is individually dry roasted and then ground to a fine powder. The five spices include: cumin, fenugreek, fennel, black mustard seed, and kalonji/nigella seeds.
Tumeric is sometimes added as the sixth ingredient.
Panch phoron or panch phoran (Bengali: পঞ্চফোৰৰ), also spelled as panch phoran, pancha phoran, paancha phoran, is a Bengali spice mixture. It is a combination of five whole spices – black mustard, fenugreek, fennel, cumin and kalonji (nigella seeds). These spices are traditionally ground together to form a fine powder. This Bengali spice mix can be used in vegetarian cooking for flavor and variety.
TIP: If you do not have the time to mix and grind all these ingredients separately, then buy ready-made Panch Phoron from Indian grocery stores or online shops.
In my opinion I think it is better to grind them yourself. Then you know what is going into your Panch Phoron and it tastes better.
The word “panch” comes from the Sanskrit word “pancha” meaning “five”. The word “phoron” comes from the Sanskrit “pheru” meaning “powder”. So Panch Phoron literally means Five Spice Powder.
