Bengali Panch Phoron Recipe- The Bengali 5 spice | How to make Panch Phoron

2014-01-29
  • Prep Time : 2m
  • Ready In : 2m

Heating oil and tempering it with whole spices, is the entire basis of Indian cooking- what makes it so unique and different from every other cuisine in the world.

Tempering is called Tadka in Hindi; Fodni in Marathi and Phoron in Eastern India. So Panch Phoron is literally a mixture of 5 spices that are used as a mixture while cooking.

I come from a Saraswat Brahmin background, from the land of coconut and pepper.  I had no clue about the nuances of Bengali cooking or the spices they used till I married Mr Sengupta.

Thus began my adventures in the Bengali kitchen. I got to learn all about the cuisine and how food and phorons differed from East Bengal to West Bengal and the subtle differences in Panch Phorons from my very talented mother -in-law.

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There are basically 2 kinds of panch phoron- one that has mustard seeds (used in West Bengal) and the other that that uses Radhuni (similar in appearance to celery seeds) instead. All the other 4 spices remain the same.

Now to the spice mixture itself.

Cumin seeds, Nigella seeds (aka Onion seeds), Saunf (Fennel seeds), Fenugreek (Methi) seeds are the main stars while and Radhuni (Celery seeds) or Mustard seed appear depending on which side of the border you originate from.

There are basically 2 kinds of panch phoron- one that has mustard seeds (used in West Bengal) and the other that that uses Radhuni (similar in appearance to celery seeds) instead. All the other 4 spices remain the same.

This spice mixture is extremely fragrant, and flavours the dish immensely. I have had several preparations made by my mother-in-law that have panch phoran, vegetables, salt and little else- but the taste is quite unlike anything that you would have eaten otherwise. Each of the spices add their own flavour, so every bite that you eat tastes different. It is really amazing.

The simplest way to make this is mix equal proportions of the spices and bottle them. Easy!

Ingredients

  • Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
  • Nigella seeds (Kalonji)- 2 tsp
  • Fennel seeds (Saunf)- 2 tsp
  • Methi (Fenugreek) seeds- 2 tsp
  • Radhuni or Mustard seeds

Method

Step 1

Take equal quantities of each spice.

Step 2

Mix well and bottle.

To Use

Simply heat oil, add 1/2 tsp of the Panch Phoron and add cut vegetables or dal.

Remember that this spice mixture has strong flavours, so you do not need to add too much spice to the dish. Add a dried red chilli or green chilli and salt and 1/2 tsp of coriander powder with chopped coriander to garnish.

Tastes excellent with cauliflower & potato vegetable, just potatoes, butternut squash (red pumpkin) & potatoes. Experiment with anything and surprise yourself. I bet you’ll love it.

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