Community » Indian Cuisine 

Subject: Panch Phoron

This five-spice mixture characterizes much of the cooking in the Bengal region of the Ganges Delta, which is made up mostly of the West Bengal state of India and the nation of Bangladesh.  You will love the fragrance when you fry this mixture in a little clarified butter.  Try it in a simple recipe like Bengal Red Lentils with Spices -- you'll love it. 
 
Three of the spices in this mixture (cumin, fennel, and mustard seeds) are easy to find almost anywhere in the US, and will create a delicious aroma and flavor all by themselves.  If you can't get fenugreek, substitute a little imitation maple flavor (which is made with genuine fenugreek).  You can get the last two spices (fenugreek and nigella) at Indian groceries.  Nigella is also called kalonji, black cumin (though other spices are also called black cumin), and black onion.  Fenugreek is also called methi.

[edited June-10-2008]

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