RC: Panch Phoron

Also known as Bengali 5-Spice Mixture ("panch Phoron" means "five spices" in Bengali). Mix equal quantities of each of the following whole spices (i.e., unground seeds):

cumin
fennel
black mustard
kalongi (nigella)
fenugreek

NOTE: Kalongi are very tiny, black seeds. The English name is nigella, sometimes erroneously called "black onion seed", "black cumin" (a name correctly applied to shah jeera), or "black caraway". The Hindi name "kalongi" is unambiguous.

This is a common Bengali spice mixture commonly fried in a little bit of oil or ghee as part of a tadka added to a dal or vegetable dish.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

While shopping in middle eastern markets in Los Angelees a few weeks ago, I kept coming across fenugreek. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've never had it in my kitchen, but when I was a kid, my mother had one of those spice sets that came in a large wooden thing you hang on a wall. It was my first teacher about spices and I routinely smelled my way through them until I could name any one of them blindfolded. But my point is that this set (of about 20 or 25) was probably meant to include one each of all the most neccessary herbs and spices needed in the American kitchen of the time and a few more exotic/trendy items, and fenugreek was one of them (so was hickory smoke salt--go figure).

As I looked at fenugreek a few weeks ago, I wondered what had made it trendy enough to be in my mother's spice set all those years ago, and why I've never worked with it since.

Btw, in shopping I was also interested to find not just the seed but fenugreek leaves, which smelled wonderful even through the packaging. Have you ever used the latter?

No clue as to why fenugreek was among the spices in that spice set. It doesn't strike me as one of the spice staples for an American kitchen. It is, however, one of the major ingredients in generic yellow curry powder.

I have a bunch of Indian recipes that call for fenugreek leaves, both dried and fresh. The next time I make one of those dishes I'll try to remember to post the recipe here.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

No clue as to why fenugreek was among the spices in that spice set. It doesn't strike me as one of the spice staples for an American kitchen.

Right, nothing I've learned since has managed to explain it, except to think it might have been regional packaging. Like chili powder with cinnamon in it--fine in Cincinnati, but not in Dallas.


I have a bunch of Indian recipes that call for fenugreek leaves, both dried and fresh. The next time I make one of those dishes I'll try to remember to post the recipe here.

I'd appreciate that, thanks.

Hey, while I've got you on the line, the friend I was cooking with in California is Chinese and it turns out she takes Cooks Illustrated. I asked her what she thought of the article on potstickers and she laughed out loud. Her comment was the same as mine, that they were applying ravioli principles to the wrong cuisine.