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Panch phoron

Spices & seasonings · Spice blends

Panch phoron

Whole-seed Bengali five-spice of cumin, fennel, mustard, fenugreek and nigella, crackled in hot oil to start a dish.

Also called: panch phoran, panch puran, pancha phutana, bengali five spice, five-seed mix

Around the world: পাঁচফোড়ন (bn) · ପଞ୍ଚ ଫୁଟଣ (or) · पंच फोरन (hi)

A kind of spices

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Make it yourself: Panch phoron

Photo: Wiki-uk, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Panch phoron ('five spices') is a mix of equal parts whole cumin, fennel, brown mustard, fenugreek and nigella seeds, used across Bengal, Odisha (as pancha phutana), Assam and Bihar. It is never ground for everyday cooking: the seeds are fried in hot oil, usually mustard oil, until they pop and release their flavour. It is unrelated to Chinese five-spice powder.

How it’s used

  • Tempering dals, chorchori and labra
  • Fish jhol and vegetable curries
  • Sweet-sour chutneys and pickles
  • Aam ki launji and potato dishes

Characteristics

Taste
Bitter-sweet and nutty, with anise from fennel and a faint onion note from nigella.
Appearance
A speckled mix of tan, green-grey, black and yellow seeds.
When cooked
Pops and darkens within seconds in hot oil; the fenugreek burns first.
Sold as
whole
Cooking uses
Used for tempering (tadka), Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Whole seeds keep 6 months or more in an airtight jar; shake before use.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Mustard.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains mustard seeds.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
375 kcal
Protein
17.81 g
Carbohydrate
44.24 g
Fat
22.27 g
Fibre
10.5 g
Sugars
2.25 g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, cumin seed (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Cumin seeds — Cumin with a pinch of fennel and mustard seeds is the closest quick fix.

Related ingredients

Recipes with panch phoron

No recipe in the catalogue uses it yet.

More spice blends