Panch Poron

Generally, I use a lot ground spice blends in my cooking, from Berbere to Zaatar. So, when I come across a whole spice blend, I take notice. That is precisely the case with Panch Poron. Not only does this whole spice blend catch my attention, but its provenance keeps my attention as I look for various recipes that incorporate the blend. 

Panch poron is a whole spice blend that figures prominently in Bangladshi cuisine, as well as the cuisines of the nearby Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Odishga and West Bengal. Its name translatres into "five tempered spices," and those five spices are universal in all panch poron recipes. They are cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and nigella seeds.

It is said that the number of spices used in panch poron could be traced back to the 8th to 12th centuries, when the Pala dynasty ruled over what is now Bihar and Bengal. The dynasty was Buddhist, in which the number five has important meanings, such as the five senses, five colors, five elements. The number five also plays an important role in Ayurveda, such as the five elements or the five actions, which incorporates panch poron in various vegetable dishes. 

The spice blend is used in an array of dishes, although typically lentil and vegetable dishes. Cooks also use it in fish curries, but panch poron does not appear to figure very prominently in meat dishes. That being said, I have found a few chicken dishes that use the blend, so one may soon be in the works. 

Whereas many recipes call for whole spices to be toasted, panch poron is more often tempered (known as phoron in eastern India, but also tadka in northern India or phodni in the west), that is, heated in oil por ghee during the early stages of cooking. That enables the flavors of the spices to permeate through the cooking oil or ghee, which helps to flavor the dish.  

PANCH PORON

Recipe from Tara Dalal

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds (rai/sarson)
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf)
• 1 tablespoon nigella seeds (kalonji)
• 1 tablespoon radhuni (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store in an air-tight container.

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For more about panch poron, check out Rituparna Roy's article in Whetstone Magazine. 

PEACE.