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Bengali · Bangladeshi · Indian

Panch phoron

Vegetarian

পাঁচফোড়ন · pãcphoṛon

Bengal's whole five-seed blend — cumin, fennel, brown mustard, fenugreek and nigella in equal parts — never ground, but crackled in hot mustard oil to start dals, chorchori, fish jhol, chutneys and pickles.

Panch phoron is a Bengali condiment from India, ready in about 3 minutes and made with cumin seeds, fennel seeds and mustard seeds. It serves 33 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
3 min
Cook
0 min
Total
3 min
Serves
33
Level
Beginner
Calories
—

Ingredients

33 teaspoons (about 3 g each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Spread each seed out on a plate and pick over it for grit, stalks and tiny stones, which are common in nigella and mustard seeds (opens in a new tab).

    • 1 min

  2. Step 2

    Weigh the seeds and stir them together in a bowl until evenly mixed. Do not roast or grind — the seeds release their flavour when they hit hot oil in the dish.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon into a clean, completely dry glass jar or spice tin, label with the date and keep away from the stove, light and steam. Always use a dry spoon. Shake the jar before each use, as the small mustard and nigella seeds (opens in a new tab) settle to the bottom.

About this dish

Origin
Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Mithila, West Bengal, India · Well documentedCalled pancha phutana in Odisha. Some Bengali cooks use radhuni (wild celery seed) in place of mustard; equal parts by weight is the common standard.Also popular in Bangladesh, NepalMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, bitter, earthy
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with
Cumin seeds · Fennel seeds · Mustard seeds · Fenugreek · Nigella seeds

Allergens

  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

Nutrition not available for this recipe

Not enough data to calculate: Nigella seeds. We show nothing rather than a made-up number.

Good to know

Tips

  • To use: heat mustard oil until it just smokes, lower the heat, add ½–1 tsp panch phoron and let it crackle for 10–20 seconds, until the fenugreek turns reddish, before adding vegetables or pouring over dal.
  • For pickles and kasundi-style chutneys, dry-roast and coarsely grind it.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the fenugreek turn black in the oil, which makes the whole dish bitter.
  • Using yellow mustard seeds, which are milder and do not pop the same way.

Serve with

  • Dalma, cholar dal, labra and chorchori.
  • Tomato-khejur chutney, aam ki launji and macher jhol.

Storage

  • Whole seeds keep well: airtight, cool and dark, for 6 months.

Variations

  • With radhuni: Replace the mustard with radhuni (wild celery seed) for an older, more parsley-like Bengali version.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

About this masala

Type
Whole-spice blend
Texture
Whole spices
One batch makes
about 100 g
Keeps
about 6 months
Store
Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
Recipe
Traditional

Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Mithila. Makes Panch phoron, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas

Used in

Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The spice and seasoning backbone

Spices, masalas & pastes

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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