Panch Phoron, the spice blend most adored by Bengalis. Bengali cooks cannot go without this simple yet bittersweet whole spice mix in their pantry. Panch phoron is used in Bangladesh and Eastern India especially in West Bengal, Mithila, Assam and Odisha (Orissa).
The simplicity of this blend comes from using the whole seeds. There is absolutely no grinding and pounding with your mortar and pestle to get this magical blend! Simply gather and mix all the seeds and you have a very aromatic spice blend that can be used to elevate vegetables, meat or seafood up a notch. I use panch phoron to cook, to bake, and even to grill. My special mix vegetable is famous among my non-Bengali friends because of panch phoron. The special meat recipe I cook has panch foron in it. My mom and grandmother adds the magic of panch phoron in their fish curries all the time.
“Panch’‘ means five and “Phoron” in Bengali means to temper. Panch phoron releases its aroma when the seeds pop in hot oil or ghee. That’s why the name is panch phoron. Oh, did I not mention the seeds yet? The famous blend consists of cumin seeds(জিরা), fennel seeds(মৌরি), fenugreek seeds(মেথি), nigella seeds(কালোজিরা) and wild celery seeds(রাধুনি).
All of these seeds except wild celery seeds are readily available at Bangladeshi and Indian markets and good spice shops in the US. Wild celery seeds are difficult to find outside of Bangladesh or West Bengal. McCormick has celery seed but it is not the same as wild celery seeds. A good substitute for wild celery seeds in panch phoron is mustard seeds(সরিষা). Hence, I am sharing the recipe with mustard seeds so that you can try out the spice blend easily.
Cumin seeds, also known as jeera(জিরা), have a robust woody, earthy flavor. The rich aroma makes cumin a widely popular spice for Bengali meat, fish, curry and lentil dishes. Cumin also adds depth to Southwestern and Moroccan dishes.
Yellow-to-amber colored Fenugreek, also known as methi(মেথি) is a bit hard with a nutty flavor. If you bite on one, it is slightly bitter and has a pungent smell. The fenugreek seeds are incredibly aromatic. Stand alone, it is great for casseroles, lentil soups, chutneys and pickles. Use in moderate quantity as it can overpower a dish.
The slightly greenish cumin seed look alike fennel seeds have floral, anise flavor. They are also known as mouri(মৌরি). Fennel seeds are frequently used as breath fresheners after a meal for their sweet taste and floral aroma. Fennel seeds have many medicinal usage.
Nigella seed or kalonji(kalojeera, কালোজিরা) has a lovely peppery flavor with a slightly rough black texture. Nigella seeds can easily be confused with black sesame or onion seeds but they are not the same. Nigella is widely used in cookies and fried snacks in Bangladesh.
I do hope you will try panch phoron sometimes. I have a strong feeling, you’ll most likely fall in love with this simple Bengali spice blend. For me, there is no turning back ever from panch phoron.
- 1 portion fennel seeds
- 1 portion cumin seeds
- 1 portion fenugreek
- 1 portion nigella
- 1 portion mustard seeds or wild celery seeds
- Mix together an equal quantity of each spice and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container.
উপকরণ:
১ ভাগ মৌরি
১ ভাগ জিরা
১ ভাগ মেথি
১ ভাগ কালোজিরা
১ ভাগ সরিষা বা রাধুনী
প্রস্তত প্রণালী:
১. সব মসলা সমপরিমাণে মেশান।
২. একটি বায়ুরোধী কন্টেইনারে মশলা রেখে দিন।
প্রয়োজনিও কিছু টিপস্ এর জন্য দয়াকরে আটির্কেল অথবা ইংরেজি রেসিপির নোট সেকশন টা একটু দেখে নেবেন। [/print_this]
Your photograph is gorgeous <3
Thanks a bunch!
looks good! I have been intrigued by nigella seeds, but have not tired. This looks like a great excuse to go for it 🙂
You’ll not regret it, Liz. I say, go for it. Let me know how you like it. Thank you.
Prefect timing! I am about to run out of a batch someone gave me, time to make my own!
Now you know! Thank you, Farhana.
I would love to try this blend of spices…It looks fantastic!
Thank you, Denise.
i saw this spice mix at a Indian grocery store and almost bought it but seems like i can make it at home easily..will you be sharing a recipe or two?
There are several recipes with panch phoron on the blog and I have many on the way. Here’s a search result and you are always welcome to do a search on the top right “search box”. Thanks Dixya.
https://withaspin.com/?s=panch+foron
I do hope I will try panch phoron sometime soon! I love the taste new things…
I hope you do! Thank you!
I make mine and then grind half of it since my husband has a problem with seeds 🙁 I am so happy to find your blog! And seems you are also from Dallas. I used to live there but I no longer do.
Nice to meet you too and have you over, Andrea. I grind panch phoron for certain dishes. The aroma is stronger when you grind the blend. Most Bengali recipes call for the whole spice blend. Thank you for stopping by and hope to see you around again.
Hilo can we grind onion seed for eatin
Hello. There is no harm in grinding onion seeds if you want to. Just as a side note, onion seeds are not same as nigella seeds/kalonji. Thank you.
I just happen to have everything in my spice drawer. Can’t wait to mix up a batch.
Gina
Yay! I hope you do mix up a batch and try the magic of panch phoron. Thank you, Gina.
Thanks for brief introduction to my favorite spice mix. Methi and Kili jira have great medicinal value. Fish (of course fresh, not frozen) jhule (soup?) with only methi is unbeatable. Expect more elaborate on use of these less familia/used seeds.
Sure thing! I have more recipe in the works with these spices. Thank you for your insights. Hope to see you around the blog again soon.
Shukta/shukto is another forgotten recipe. Heloncha, Thankuni, Rojonta leaf, papaya or other soft vegetables like Jhinga and live fish like Shing, Shoila/pholi/kangla and no chilly at all – greenish jhule. I’m sure most of the new generation are totally ignorant of this. This was an essential dish in case of stomach illness. Would you write about this?
Oh wow, I had already forgotten about the light greenish gravy offered during stomach illnesses. Thank you so much for the reminder. Love jhinga and shoila. I often cook jhinga at home and it’s a family favorite. I’m adding these to my to do recipes. Thank you so much!