Panch Phoran (Bengal five spices)- A magical blend

Panch Phoran blend has been used by people in Asia for ages. It is a very popular blend as it can be used in many dishes. We recently started offering this blend due to market demand and medicinal impact of this magical blend.

The distinct aroma of Bengali cuisine is mostly due to the blend of spices known as panch phoron. Panch means "five" and phoron is "flavor" or "spice", hence the common translation Bengali Five-Spice". Panch phoron is a colorful blend of flavorful seeds: the green of Fennel seed, Black mustard and Nigella seeds (black seed), golden Fenugreek and buff-brown colored Cumin seeds.

Five seeds used in panch phoran are colorful and have very unique medicinal properties:

1) Fennel Seeds - helps digestion and colic
2) Fenugreek seeds - reduces blood sugar
3) Black Mustard - considered a cure for colds and fevers
4) Black Seed (Nigella Sativa) - reduces blood sugar, helps body Neuro system, enhances stamina and combat allergies.
5) Cumin - has also been used in ancient medicine of Ayurveda as an ingredient for many digestive formulations.

Hot Spice Blend - Garam Masala

Cumin Cardamom Clove Fennel Black Pepper Coriander Ceylon Cinnamon

We have been selling spices for some time. People often ask me, do you have Organic Garam Masala and Organic Curry Powder. when we say no, they look at us strangely. I have grown up eating Indian food that is made with curry powder or Garam masala. Then why don't we sell it ?. Good question !. You can find these blends almost at any gourmet store and others who claim to know about Indian/Asian cooking. I am not fully convinced about offering the product. May be I am ......

My mom has a different recipe than my sister and grand mother !. Hmm, which one we should choose. Blend varies from family to family and region to region !. How do you select a blend ?. I thought it will be a good start to start discussing the recipes. People can then change the ratio and ingredient as per choice. My thinking comes from buying computer from DELL that is designed for my requirement. These spice blends are good for short period of time and after a while they loose the aroma. Here is one of my Mama's recipe that is liked by many people. I am going to work in small quantities so that people can change as per taste.

Spices used in the blend use best of the best ingredients and you won't find this high quality hot blend anywhere !

Key Ingredients: (makes 1/4 cup)
1) Organic Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
2) Organic Coriander Seeds 1 teaspoon
3) Organic Tellichery or Malabar Black Peppercorns 1 teaspoon
4) Organic Cardamom Seeds (removed from pods) 1 teaspoon
5) Organic Fennel Seeds 1/2 teaspoon
6) Organic Clove Buds 15
7) Organic Real Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks 3 (3 inches each)

Process:

1) In a small pan, roast all the spices over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until shades turn slightly darker, start to crack, and become fragrant.

2) Transfer the spices into another bowl and let them cool for 5 minutes.

3) Grind in a spice grinder until mixture has the texture of finely ground black pepper.

4) Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

After few trials, one can adjust the ratios as per the taste.