Five Spice (Panch Phoran)

This spice mixture comprises equal quantities of the following five spices: cumin (zeera), fennel (saunf), fenugreek (methi), mustard seeds (rai) and nigella seeds (kalonji), it is a typical spice blend of Bengal and North Indian.

Paanch phoran is often used in fish and vegetable dishes and should not be confused with the ‘Chinese five spice powder’, which comprises black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and fennel but it also has star anise as a fifth spice which is more commonly used in Chinese cookery.