Topic: panch poran

[artistpaul]

hi all

 can someone point me or post a link in the direction of mixing or buying panch poran please?

tried the search facility but as usual its a bit crap

cheers Paul

[Cory Ander]

Panch Phoran ("Bengali Five Spice")

Equal parts of:

• Nigella (kalonji/wild onion) seeds
• Fenugreek (methi) seeds
• Cumin (jeera) seeds
• Black mustard seeds
• Fennel seeds

[beachbum]

Do you toast them first then put them through a spice grinder? Is this mix used in BIR - I have all those whole spices and wonder how it's used, like garam masala or earlier in the cooking?

Edit: did some Googling and I see it's always used as whole spices. However Fenugreek is like little bullets, do the seeds soften or pop on cooking?

[Malc.]

beachbum,


I use it in my pre-cook of veg/potato as well as rice. You can treat like any whole spice, roasting and grinding but I use while. Simply fry in oil with your Garlic & Ginger and continue your recipe.


Out of interest, I have found 3 different variations of Panch Phoran on the internet . Two are variations of each other, mine has small yellow mustard seeds and aniseed in place of fennel. The one on its own has Radhuni in it. You can get the spice in a local Indian store.

[pauly58]

I make it up exactly as CA says. Lovely added to hot ghee, then some chopped garlic & poured onto cooked masoor dhal.

[StoneCut]

Panch Phoran ("Bengali Five Spice")

Equal parts of:

• Nigella (kalonji/wild onion) seeds
• Fenugreek (methi) seeds
• Cumin (jeera) seeds
• Black mustard seeds
• Fennel seeds

Really fennel - or aniseed ?

[artistpaul]

Many thanks CA

Paul

[timeless]

Picked up a packet of this yesterday while getting some things from my local shop also got their spice mix see what its like and some other spice blends.

[timeless]

Used the Bombay biryani mix in my keema biryani tonight the results were excellent

[Kashmiri Bob]

Off to Sparkhill later today and panch poran is on my shopping list.  Looking forward to giving it a try. Seeing those other masala mixes has reminded me of my last visit there.  I usually stop at a kebab/TA/restaurant, who do a rather nice chicken tikka wrap for a ?1.  Last time I noticed the chef had inadvertently left out a box of Shan Biryani Masala on one of the work surfaces.  I wondered if it was used an ingredient for their tikka marinade.  The place is mainly kebabs etc. but there is a back part with seating and a limited curry menu.  So it may have been used to make, erm, a biryani.  Just struck me as a bit odd as it was early and the restaurant side was empty. 

You can get these boxed spice mixes for pretty much everything these days, but in many the main ingredient is salt, so care is needed not to add too much.  I do use the Mangal Chat Masala for Kashmiri Chat (Kris Dhillon's second book, p 39).  Absolutely love that recipe; I recently swapped my home-made GM for the Jalpur GM when making it.  Awesome! 

Rob