Panch Phoron Recipes, Uses and Benefits

 What is panch phoron

Panch phoron is consisted of two words: Panch means five and Phoron means flavor. It is amalgam of five spices with individual distinct flavor and taste. Thus, it gives unique flavor and delicious taste to the recipes. Panch phoron is the blend of five important spices i.e. fenugreek seed, nigella seed (kalonji), cumin seed, black mustard seed and fennel seed in equal proportion. However, to have the more/less taste of a particular ingredient, the quantity of the said spice can be increased/decreased. It is commonly used to make different recipes in India and Bangladesh. In India, it is popular in the northern as well as Eastern parts of India but it is well admired in Bengal where they can’t imagine Bengali food without panchpuran.

Different names of panch phoron

1. Paanch phorana (Maithila)
2. Padkaune Masala (Nepal)
3. Pas phoron (Assam)
4. Pãch phoṛon (Bengal)
5. Panchu phutana (Oriya)
6. Padkaune masala
7. Panch puran
8. Panch phoron
9. Panchphoron
10. Panch phutana
11. Bengali five spice
12. Panch phora
13. Panch puran
14. Panch poran
15. Panch puran
16. Panchpur

Top benefits of Panch phoron

There are many health benefits of Paanch phorana. Some of the important benefits are being mentioned below:

1. The presence of cumin in the five-recipe helps to secrete pancreatic juice thus good in smooth digestion. It also acts like as appetizer.
2. Cumin seeds are good for healthy and glowing skin.
3. Fenugreek seeds are beneficial for breast milk.
4. Fenugreek seeds are useful for diabetic patients.
5. Fenugreek seeds are also use to enhance fair complexion.
6. Nigella seeds are useful for more or less all type of diseases and disorders. These are regarded as seeds of miracle cure.
7. Fennel seeds are good in lowering blood pressure.
8. These seeds are also good for cardiac problems and developing immunity of the body.

Best uses of Panch phoron

1. The best use of panch phoron is to prepare yummy recipes to satisfy for your taste buds because of its strong flavoring aroma.
2. Grind panch phoron is hardly used for different recipes. However, ground panch poran is used with eggs, cheese, salads, sausages, soup, paneer, lamb and pork, especially in the towns and cities.
3. It is used to enrich the flavor of different vegetables.
4. It is used in the preparation of chicken, lentils and fish to increase its taste.

How to uses Panch phoron

The Bengal five spices are fried either in oil or ghee on the fried pan. When they start popping, which is known as tempering, indicates to make mix the other ingredients with it. This tempering process in known as Baghaar in Oriya, phoron in Bengal and Chaunk in Hindi. It is the time when aroma start coming out from the ingredients. Now, put the vegetables or other recipes on the fried pan, which you want to cook. The other simple process of using this Bengali five- spice is to use during preparation of vegetables. It should be sprinkled from above followed by mixing it well in the fry pan. It also gives pungent smell to the recipe.

Panch puran recipe

The various ingredients are used in making of panchpuran recipe are as follow: Kalonji seeds (1tbsp), fenugreek seeds (1tbsp), mustard seeds (1tbsp), fennel seeds (1tbsp) and cumin seeds (1tbsp). The mixture is prepared and kept in a jar to use time to time.  Some of the important recipes are:

• Potato curry with panch puran and tamarind
• Bengali fish curry with punchpuran
• Spinach with punch poram
• The recipe of lentil and punch phoron
• Red msoor dal with punchporan
• Pumpkin and shrimp sabzi-punch puran for tempering
• Aamer ambal aur chaatni-ground punchpuran is used.
• Tomato khejur cranberry chutney

Selection of panch phoron

It is better to prepare pãch phoṛon at home instead of buying it from the shop. One shouldn’t use ground panchphoron as its aromatic flavor is transient in nature. Try to purchase those spices which are field grown or cultivate organically. While buying it from shop, please make clear that there is no moisture in the composition. One should also clear about the expiry date.

How to store

After preparing of the Bengali five-spice, it is suggested to keep in a tightly glass container. It should be kept in a dry, dark and cool place.

Hindi name of Panch phoron

The Hindi name of Panch Phoron is पन्चफोरन

English name of Panch phoron

The English name of Panch phoron is ‘ Five Spices’