Made using 5 whole spices, Panch Phoran or Panch Phoron is a traditional spice mix which is quintessential in Bengali cuisine. It is very easy to make at home using five basic Indian spices. Here is how to make Panch Phoran Recipe.
Indian cuisine is based on the use of a lot of fragrant spices. Each part of Indian has their own set of favorite spices that they use in their cooking. Right from Jeeravan Masala to Dhana Jeera Powder to Garam Masala and Panch Phoron, there are plenty of spice combinations that are used in various Indian dishes.
A combination of spices which we generally use in most of our Bengali recipes is called Panch Phoran or as they call it Panch Phoron.
Unlike garam masala which is in ground form, Panch phoran is simply a mixture of the seeds of different spices. This Indian five spice is readily available in your nearby grocery stores but you can very easily prepare it at home as well.
Panch Phoran is widely used in the cuisine of Bangladesh, Eastern India and Southern Nepal as well. It is called by different names in different regions, for example, it is known as Padkaune Masala in Nepal, pas phoron in Assam and & panchu phutana in Orissa.
In Indian cuisine we add whole spices just after the oil heats up and then add the vegetables to prepare a nice curry, but you can also crackle this masala in some hot oil and use this as a tempering to top it all over some salads, salsa or yogurt dips as well.
Now let us know all about this panch phoran recipe.
What is Panch Phoran?
Panch Phoran is a whole spice blend, consisting of cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, which originated from the Indian subcontinent and is widely used in the cuisine of Eastern India.
Panch means five and phoran means tempering. So essentially Panch Phoran is a mixture of five spices which includes cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and is used for tempering various dishes.
Garam Masala v/s Panch Phoran Masala
Garam Masala is made by dry roasting whole spices and then grinding them into a fine powder, while for panch phoran you just have to mix five whole spices and store it.
Garam Masala includes various spices such as nutmeg, star anise, mace, black and green cardamom, bay leaves, cinamon stick, pepper corns, cloves, coriander seeds cumin seeds and fennel seeds, where as, Panch phoran only requires five spices as specified above.
What is Radhuni?
“Radhuni, known as ajmod in Hindi, is the dried fruit of Trachyspermum roxburgianum. Grown mostly in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Indonesia, it is often confused with ajwain.
Mostly used in Begali cuisine, Radhuni is a strong spice with smell similar to parsley and tastes likes celery. It is also part of the local panch phoron mixture which includes cumin seed, fenugreek seed, fennel seed, and kalonji.” – Source
Radhuni is used for panch phoran in Bengal in place of cumin seeds. If we go towards Western India, Radhuni is hard to find, so people there use cumin seeds or celery seeds in place of radhuni.
How do we use Panch Phoron?
Traditionally, panch phoron is used while preparing chicken or mutton curry, fish, lentils, shukto (cooked vegetables) and in pickles.
Panch Phoron is an integral part of any Bengali style tarkari. Be it Aloo, Cauliflower, parwal or any gourd, it’s used in the recipe.
Panch Phoron tomato chutney and yellow dal with a tempering of this spice mix is to die for.
Just add a spoon of this masala in hot mustard oil or ghee and let them fry until the seeds starts crackling. This technique of tempering spices in oil is called tadka in hindi. The spluttering of these spices in hot oil releases a very strong aroma. Do not fry these spices for too long as they have a tendency to get burn really fast.
Also the fenugreek seeds tend to cook a little faster than the other spices, so keep your next step ready as soon as you add the spices into the oil, so that, you can easily bring down the temperature of the oil and spices do not end up burning.
How to store Panch Phoran Masala?
You can store the panch phoran masala in an air tight container or in a tight zip lock bag and keep it in the refrigerator so that the spices remain flavourful and aromatic for a long period of time. Even if you do not keep it in a refrigerator, always store it in a cool and dry place which is away from the heat of gas stove and microwave or any other heat generating appliance.
How to make Panch Phoron Step by Step
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Store in a cool dry place and use as required.
Panch Phoran Recipe
Panch Phoran
Made using 5 whole spices, Panch Phoran or Panch Phoron is a traditional spice mix which is quintessential in Bengali cuisine. It is very easy to make at home using five basic Indian spices. Here is how to make Panch Phoran Recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Fennel Seeds/ Saunf
- 2 tbsp Mustard Seeds/ Sarson
- 1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds/ Methi
- 1 tbsp Radhuni Replace it with cumin seeds if not available.
- 1 tbsp Nigella Seeds/ Kalaunji
Instructions
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Store in an airtight jar and use as required.
Recipe Notes
You can store the panch phoran masala in an air tight container or in a tight zip lock bag and keep it in the refrigerator so that the spices remain flavourful and aromatic for a long period of time.
Even if you do not keep it in a refrigerator, always store it in a cool and dry place which is away from the heat of gas stove and microwave or any other heat generating appliance.
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Priti Rawat
Amazing masala…
Neha Mathur
Thanks 🙂