Panch phoron means five spices. It is a whole-seed mixture used in Bengal, Bangladesh, Odisha and parts of Assam and Nepal. It is cooked briefly in hot oil at the start of a dish and is not ground.

What goes in

Cumin222%, Earthy.
Fennel seed222%, Sweet.
Brown mustard222%, Sharp.
Nigella222%, Oniony.
Fenugreek seed111%, Bitter, in small amount.

Parts by volume of the whole spice. The ring shows each part's share.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Ratios and timings differ from house to house; this is one traditional-style way.

Step 1: Blend Measure the five seeds in equal parts, with fenugreek a little less.
Step 2: Blend Mix well by hand and keep the seeds whole.
Step 3: Temper Heat oil or ghee until it shimmers.
Step 4: Temper Add a spoonful of the mix and let it crackle for ten seconds.
Step 5: Bloom Add vegetables or lentils to the oil straight away.
Step 6: Store Keep the rest in a closed jar.
Finished Panch phoron, by share.

The five

The seeds are traditionally fenugreek, nigella, brown mustard, cumin and fennel, often in equal parts. Fenugreek is used lightly because it can turn a dish bitter. Some cooks swap in wild celery or radhuni seed.

In the kitchen

The seeds crackle as they hit the oil, which releases their flavour into it. It is used with lentils, leafy greens, fish curries, vegetable dishes and chutneys. It is not usually part of a garam masala.

Where it is used

Masoor dalShuktoAloo postoFish jholChutney

The spices in it

Black cuminKalonji.

FenugreekMethi seed.

FennelSweet seed.

CuminThe dried seed of a small parsley-family herb, used whole or ground in many world cuisines.

Mustard seedTiny seeds from Brassica plants that become a sharp condiment or cooking oil.

More on EveryMasala

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Sources and further reading

Panch phoron on Wikipedia

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryMasala desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are an illustrative, traditional-style ratio, not a standard: every family and maker blends differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Black cumin: AndreHolz at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Fennel: Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, source

Cumin: Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Fenugreek: Yak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Mustard seed: Pancrat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source

Panch phoron