Panch Phoran Spice Mix (Indian 5 Spice)

Panch Phoran, Panch Phoron, Indian Five Spice or Bengail Five Spice, is a traditionally a mix of five whole seeds. The fennel, fenugreek, brown mustard, cumin and nigella seed mix is typically found in Eastern Indian, Southern Nepalese and Bangladeshi cuisines.

It’s a well balanced blend of flavours, with the fenugreek seeds providing a hint of bitterness, the brown mustard seeds contributing a slight pungency, the cumin seeds some earthiness and the nigella seeds a subtle onion-like flavour. Meanwhile, the fennel seeds add some sweetness to the mix.

Panch Phoran is always used whole and never ground. Use this seed mix at the start of cooking and fry in oil to temper. The seeds will start popping and jumping around in the pan, releasing their flavours and infusing your dish with their distinctive aroma. Then, pour over dals to add texture and extra flavour.

This spice mix is commonly associated with Bengali cooking, where it is used with vegetables, mutton and chicken curries, fried fish and lentils.

Try one of our recipes for Mango Chutney, Bengali Samosa or Five-Spice Fish. Or you could try Nisha Katona’s Delicious Samosa Tart

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