Panch phoron
Panch phoron | |
| Alternative names | Panch phodan, Pancha phutana |
|---|---|
| Type | Spice blend |
| Region or state | India, Bangladesh |
| Main ingredients | Fenugreek seed, nigella seed, cumin seed, black mustard seed and fennel seed |
| Ingredients generally used | Radhuni |
| Similar dishes | Chinese five-spice powder |
Panch phoron (Pānch phoron (Bengali: পাঁচ ফোড়ন), Panch phoran (Bhojpuri:𑂣𑂁𑂒 𑂤𑂷𑂩𑂢), pānch phodan or pāncha phutaṇa (Odia: ପାଞ୍ଚ ଫୁଟଣ), is a whole spice blend, originating from eastern part of India, used as a prominent ingredient in the cuisines of Bengal, Odisha, and Bhojpuri region. It is also used in the cuisines of Bangladesh, Northeastern India, Bhojpur, Mithila, Assam and Nepal. The name literally means "five spices".
All of the spices in panch phoron are seeds. Typically, panch phoron consists of fenugreek seed (methi), cumin seed (jeera), nigella seed (kalonji), wild celery seed (radhuni or joni in Assamese) and fennel seed (sauf) in equal parts. Some cooks prefer to use a smaller proportion of fenugreek seeds, because of their mildly bitter taste. Unlike most spice mixes, panch phoran is always used whole.