This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · five whole spices that sizzle together, fragrant and bold
What Is This Panch Phoran Recipe?
Panch Phoran, also known as Panch Phoron or Panch Phutana, directly translates to “five spices,” with “panch” meaning five and “phoran” meaning tempering. You may have heard of Chinese 5-Spice - there’s one used in Northeast and Eastern India and Bangladesh! This is a spice mixture consisting of whole spices. They’re typically fried in ghee or dry roasted before using it in recipes. A word of caution: Mustard seeds tend to splatter in oil, so be wary of that!
This panch phoran recipe will show you what are the whole five spices used to make the blend and give some more information about them. I’ll also describe how to roast the spices and how to store your spice mixture. As I discuss in my 5 top tips to get you motivated in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, if you’re stuck in a rut in the kitchen, then you should take a look at what you have and use that to inspire you! If you have this aromatic spice blend laying around in your cupboard, then this may inspire you to cook up something delicious! I’ll give some ideas for recipes where you can use Panch Phoran at the bottom of this post if you need some ideas. If you make Panch Phoran and try any of my recipes, be sure to share them with me by tagging me on Instagram!
To see how easy it is to whip up Panch Phoran in real time, check out the video! Please subscribe to me on YouTube if you’re not already and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications for when my video recipes go live! I love to share them to give a complete picture and give you all the tools you need for success! Let’s get cooking!
What is Panch Phoran Made Of?▼
Let’s see what are the five spices for this panch phoran recipe. Refer to the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post for the quantities, and to save the recipe for later. You can also go to the recipe card by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of this post. The recipe card will also let you scale the recipe based on how much you want to make!
- Nigella seeds: Called Kalonji in Hindi, Nigella seeds are often tempered, and they help to promote digestion. I like to top my naan bread with Nigella seeds sometimes! They make it visually interesting and adds a refreshing flavor. Of course it’s optional!
- Fennel seeds: In Hindi, they are called saunf. Fennel seeds are aromatic and are often used as a mouth refresher to cleanse your palette. You usually get these on your table after your meal at an Indian restaurant. They are green and have a sweet taste, which will be prominent in your cooking. Fennel seeds also have many other health benefits such as assisting in digestion and reducing gas. They are anti-inflammatory, soothing the muscles in the intestines and reducing the swelling and inflammation in the intestine. This can help alleviate constipation.
- Brown mustard seeds: Known as rai in Hindi. Mustard seeds are more commonly used in South Indian cooking, but occasionally used in North Indian cuisine. You want to use brown or black mustard seeds instead of yellow because the flavor is much stronger. Be cautious of the crackling that occurs when you fry mustard seeds! If you don’t have brown mustard seeds, you can substitute with carom seeds (ajwain).
- Cumin seeds: An essential in Indian cooking! I pretty much use them in every dish! Called jeera in Hindi, whole or ground cumin promote healthy digestion and can help to clear phlegm and mucus. They have an earthy and nutty taste and aroma.
- Fenugreek seeds: Called Methi seeds in Hindi. These are very bitter and you only generally only need a little bit to taste it. Some recipes keep an equal amount of fenugreek seeds compared to the other spices and others reduce it. You’ll see in my recipe I’ve significantly cut down on the amount of fenugreek seeds versus the other spices. This is to ensure your dish won’t be too bitter.
You can probably find these spices at your local South Asian grocer, but if you don’t have one near you, then definitely check out the links above to shop for them online on Amazon in your country!
Ratio of Spices for This Panch Phoran Recipe
Typically, Panch Phoran follows an equal ratio of the five spices together. However, I’ll be following a different ratio. We’ll be using 3 parts cumin seeds, 2 parts fennel seeds, 2 parts brown mustard seeds, 2 parts nigella seeds, and 1 1/2 parts fenugreek seeds. If you check out the recipe card, everything will be scaled based on the amount of Panch Phoran you’d like to make. Just remember the ratio is 3:2:2:2:1.5!
Tools Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Airtight jar
- Spoon
How to Make This Panch Phoran Recipe?
In a bowl, add all the spices and combine them together. That’s all!
How to Roast Panch Phoran
Panch phoran follows a similar cooking process as cumin seeds when it comes to roasting them. If a recipe calls for panch phoran, then once the ghee, olive oil, or any other oil is hot, add the desired amount of the spice blend. Roast for 30 seconds, to a minute or until the panch phoran is aromatic and lightly toasted to release maximum flavor.
Storing Panch Phoran
It’s best to store your Panch Phoran in an airtight container or a glass jar. If transferring to a glass jar, it helps to use a funnel so you don’t make a mess! Since this Panch Phoran mixture is just a blend of dry spices, it will last for a very long time - essentially the lifetime of any whole spice, which is about three to four years! My recommendation is to just ensure that the Panch Phoran has maintained its potency, but you don’t have to worry of it going bad!
How Would You Recommend I Use Panch Phoran?▼
You can use Panch Phoran in many ways! It’s iconic in my Aloo Kohra Sabjirecipe, or Indian Potatoes & Pumpkin Curry. You could also add it in Basmati Rice or Crispy Aloo Bhujia. As mentioned earlier, if there is a recipe where you start out by roasting cumin seeds, you can use Panch Phoran instead for extra flavor and fragrance! The options are actually endless, but some dishes you could try this in include Delhi-Style Chole, Aloo Baingan Masala, or Slow-Cooked Chicken Changezi. Comment below how you will use your Panch Phoran to give me some inspiration!
The Five Spices — and Their Bengali Names
Since panch phoran comes out of Bengal, it helps to know what the five seeds are called there, because that is how they will be labelled in an Indian grocery and it is how most Bengali recipes will refer to them. Cumin seed is jeere, fennel seed is mouri, brown mustard seed is shorshe, fenugreek seed is methi, and nigella seed is kaalo jeere — literally “black cumin,” though it is not related to cumin at all. Nigella is the one people most often get wrong; it is the small matte-black teardrop seed, not the black cumin sold as shahi jeera.
There is one genuine regional variation worth flagging. In parts of Bengal the fifth spice is not mustard at all but radhuni, a wild celery seed with a sharp, parsley-like bite, and purists will tell you that is the authentic blend. Radhuni is genuinely hard to find outside India, which is why brown mustard seeds have become the standard substitute — and it is what this recipe uses. If you ever do come across radhuni, swap it in for the mustard one-for-one and taste the difference.
On quantity and ratio: most published blends use equal parts of all five. Mine does not, as noted above — the 3:2:2:2:1.5 ratio holds fenugreek back deliberately, because methi is the bitter one and equal parts of it will dominate everything else in the pan. As a rule of thumb for cooking, about a teaspoon of the blend is enough to temper a dish for four people.
How to Use Panch Phoran — the Dishes It Belongs In
Panch phoran is a tempering spice, which means it almost always goes into hot fat at the very start of a dish rather than being stirred in later. Once the ghee or oil is hot, the whole seeds go in for 30 seconds to a minute until they are aromatic and start to pop — and keep a lid handy, because the mustard seeds will splatter. That single step is what the blend is for.
Where it belongs: Bengali vegetable dishes above all, especially potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin and eggplant, where the tempering is poured over or started underneath. It goes into dals — a panch phoran tempering over a simple masoor or moong dal transforms it — and into slow Indian stews and fish curries. It is also the backbone of a great many pickles and chutneys, where the whole seeds stay visible in the jar and keep releasing flavor over weeks.
One thing to know: panch phoran is traditionally used without onions and garlic, which is part of why it is so common in Bengali vegetarian and festival cooking where those two are often left out. That does not mean you cannot use it alongside them — it works perfectly well in a dish built on a fried onion base — but the blend was designed to carry a dish on its own, and it is worth trying it that way at least once before you complicate it. Keep the jar away from the stove, since heat and steam dull whole spices faster than time does.
Other Homemade Spice Blends!
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Unlock the secrets of Panch Phoran, the essential Bengali five-spice blend. Quick and easy to make, this aromatic mix transforms everyday dishes with bold, authentic Indian flavor.
No-cook
4.3 · 3 ratings
2 min
Prep
2 min
Total
12
servings
makes ¼ cup
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
Instructions
- 1
Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight jar. Store in a cool and dry place.
Mix all the spices together and store in an airtight jar. Store in a cool and dry place.
Nutrition per serving
1
Calories
0g
Protein
0g
Carbs
0g
Fat
0g
Fiber
0g
Sugar
9mg
Sodium
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
You might also like
Freshly Made Indian-Inspired Curry Powder Spice Mix
Make your own Indian-inspired curry powder at home with this easy spice mix recipe. Fresh, fragrant, and ready in minutes — far better than anything from a store shelf.
Greatest Homemade Italian Seasoning Recipe
Make the greatest homemade Italian seasoning with simple pantry spices in minutes. This easy recipe beats store-bought every time and keeps fresh for months.
Elevate Your Indian Snacks with This Tamarind Chutney Recipe
Make the perfect tamarind chutney at home in minutes. This quick, easy Indian dip is bold, tangy, and ideal for pani puri, samosas, and all your favorite snacks.
Easiest Blender Ginger-Garlic Paste Recipe
Make flavorful Indian ginger garlic paste in minutes using a blender. This easy, authentic recipe is perfect for prepping ahead and storing for all your favorite Indian dishes.
Elevate Your Cooking with Homemade Garlic-Infused Oil!
Make flavorful homemade garlic-infused oil safely and easily! Perfect for pasta, bread, and pizza, this simple recipe delivers rich, aromatic results every time.
Excellent Quick and Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning
Make the best homemade taco seasoning in minutes with simple pantry spices. This quick and easy recipe beats store-bought every time and works perfectly for any taco night.
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a review
Be the first to share how it went — your note helps other cooks (and earns the recipe its stars).