Panch Phoron

Panch Phoron (Bengali 5-spice) is a very simple spice mix of an equal amount of dry whole spices and has nothing to do with the traditional Chinese Five-Spice. These ingredients are neither roasted, nor ground. Panch Phoron has gained its popularity by its diverse color (from yellow, through green to black) and shapes (from small round balls to irregular squares).

Generally, (similarly to tadka, baghar or popu) there are two ways to use Panch Phoron, :

1. Roast in hot oil, until a strong aroma of each spice is released, and use the fragrant oil as a base to cook dal, meats or vegetables.
2. Roast in butter or ghee and add as seasoning to different dals or thick curries.

To make your own batch, simply mix together:

BENGALI FIVE SPICE:
(Panch Phoron)

prep time: 5 minutes

• 1 quantity whole cumin seeds
• 1 quantity whole fennel seeds
• 1 quantity whole yellow mustard seeds
• 1 quantity whole fenugreek seeds
• 1 quantity whole nigella (kalonji) seeds

Mix all the seeds together, enjoy the lovely color and store in air-tight container away from direct sunlight.

Now, there are tons of recipes that feature Panch Phoron. I have made several of them, yet the one that really caught my attention (and Tompa´s appetite) was the one of Susan from Fat Free Vegan. She made Cauliflower Dal Panch Phoran, which was utterly amazing. I didn't have cauliflower on hand. so used a mixture of root veggies. Here is her recipe, which I have adjusted only slightly to this, just for my reference:

VEGGIE DAL WITH PANCH PHORON:

• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 1 tsp turmeric
• salt
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp panch phoran
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped root vegetables (potatoes, parsnip, root beet...)
  

Pick over and rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with 4 cups water and turmeric. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 20 to 35 minutes. When done, add salt and set aside.

While the dal is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick. When hot, add the oil and shake it to spread it around. Add the panch phoran and stir. When the first seed pops, immediately add the diced onion, minced garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger. Stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chopped veggies and 1/2 cup water, and stir. Cover and cook until the veggies are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the dal to the veggie mixture. Stir well, and check seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Right before serving, heat some oil in a pan and add dried chillies, sliced garlic, cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida and a few curry leaves to make the tadka seasoning.

Pour over the dal and enjoy with plain rice or (like me - below) with pohe.

This is my contribution to RCI: Bengal hosted by Sandeepa of Bong Mom´s Cookbook. This is the only Bengali recipe I know, so I am very excited to see the round-up.