You've heard of Chinese five-spice. Here's the Indian version – the panch phoran spice blend – and if you haven't come across it before, you're not alone. Panch Phoran is a Bengali spice blend used extensively in the kitchens of West Bengal and Bangladesh and almost entirely unknown outside of them.

The name means "five spices" in Bengali — and unlike Chinese five-spice, which is ground to a powder before use, Panch Phoran is traditionally used whole, thrown into hot oil or ghee at the start of cooking to crackle and pop before anything else goes in. The combination of cumin, black mustard, fenugreek, fennel and nigella seeds produces something warm, slightly bitter, and completely distinctive.

Indian five spice — Panch Phoran, ground fresh in the Wahl grinder – The Flexible Chef

In this kitchen it gets ground to a powder in the Wahl spice grinder — the same one that's been handling every spice blend here since 2012 — and used as a rub or a seasoning. Either way works. The Sweet and Sour Tomato Chutney on this site uses Panch Phoran whole in the traditional way — thrown into hot oil at the start, crackling and popping before the tomatoes go in. Worth making both.

The Indian Five Spice — Panch Phoran Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds

Method

1. Dry roast each spice individually in a pan over a medium heat until fragrant. Don't rush and don't burn them.
2. Leave to cool completely.
3. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar. The Wahl coffee grinder dedicated to spices handles this in seconds.
4. Store in an airtight glass jar in a cool, dark place. Makes around 120g and keeps for several months.

How to use it

Use it as a dry rub for fish or meat, add a pinch to soups and casseroles, or use the whole unground seeds in the traditional Bengali way — throw them into hot oil or ghee at the start of cooking and leave them to crackle before other ingredients go in. Either approach delivers the same warm, slightly bitter, completely distinctive flavour.

Footnote This Indian five-spice — Panch Phoran — recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.

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