Panch phoron | Indian five spice
Panch phoron (also known as Indian five spice) is a blend of spices and commonly used in Eastern India and Bengali cuisine. Panch means five and phoron means tempering. Generally, the spices are tempered in hot oil at the start of cooking and before continuing with the rest of the dish. It is also often used in pickles & chutneys! I like to use this spice blend in veggie side dishes to give an extra kick and depth of flavour. I love using this with bhindi in particular.
- Cumin seeds (jeera) - used frequently in Indian cooking and well known for their digestive properties!
- Fennel (saunf) - these seeds have a delicious aniseed taste and will give the spice mix a sweet kick. Fennel is a natural mouth freshner and often had after the end of a meal.
- Mustard seeds (rai) - another common spice. These also feature a lot in South Indian cooking and have a nutty taste tempered in oil.
- Fenugreek seeds (methi) - these seeds have a bitter taste and are often used in pickling. I really like the taste of methi, however, if you don't like such a bitter taste then add a little less of the methi seeds.
- Nigella seeds (kalonji) - these seeds have a toasted onion aroma & taste. They impart a really vital & unique flavour - so don't leave these out!
Ingredients
Makes around 75g
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp methi seeds adjust according to your preferences
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together in jar with a tight fitting lid.
- Close and keep in a cool & dry place.
- Use in pickles and veggie side dishes!
Recipe notes
- To add an extra depth of flavour you can toast the spices beforehand if you prefer. But I just like to keep them untoasted.
- In Bengal, wild celery seeds (radhuni) are often added instead. As these are not readily available outside of India, and are native to Bengal, a good substitute are the cumin seeds. You can use carom (ajwain) if you like.
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