Panch Phoran

Originating in the Bengali region of northern India, this mix celebrates the seed spices that are grown in that area. Panch translates to five and phora to seeds. The five seeds typical of this blend are brown mustard, cumin, fenugreek, nigella and fennel. It is often used in bread doughs or ground and added to starchy soups such as bean or lentil. If used in dishes with a long cooking time, the spices will soften and don't need to be ground, but if the mix is ground it can be added to sautéed or roasted potatoes to make a delicious side dish. Tasted on its own it comes across as rather bitter, but once it is combined with a starchy food something magical happens and the bitterness fades away. I like to mix my own version to add to roasted vegetables so I can crush the fenugreek, but leave the other seeds whole. Fenugreek is extremely hard and won't soften in the time it takes to roast vegetables.