Panch Phoron - Indian Five Spice Blend

Panch phoron (panch phoran) or Indian five spice blend is used extensively in Bengali cuisine, as well as Odia and Assamese cuisines.  All five ingredients of this panch phoron whole spice blend are seeds and are easily available in any masala store. Just ask for panch phoron ingredients and the shopkeeper will give you all 5 spices.

In Bengali, panch phoron means 5 spices, and is a combination of equal quantities of cumin seeds (jeera), nigella (kalonji), mustard seeds (rai), fennel seeds (saunf), and fenugreek seeds (methi dana).

Our recipe of panch phoron calls for fresh spices. In case the spices seem a bit damp, dry roast them for about a minute till just about aromatic. And once cooled, store panch phoron in an air-tight glass container in the freezer or in a cool, dark place.

See how to cook with panch phoron in our aloo mushroom posto recipe and video.

And if you’re looking for spice mixes, try our:

Garam Masala

Biryani Masala

Sambar Podi

Or see all our Condiment Recipes right here!