A must have traditional 5 spice mix that is essential for most vegetarian dishes in the Odisha land.
Pancha Phutana (also called as panch phutan or paanch phoron) literally means “five spices.” It is a spice mix commonly used in Eastern India and Bangladesh. The spices are left whole and fried in oil in order to temper dal (lentils) and vegetables.
All the five spices are extremely aromatic seeds on its own. When combined together for tempering, it gives the final dish a lovely distinctive aroma. In Odia language ‘pancha’ means five and ‘phutana’ means seeds. Pancha phutana is dropped into the hot oil till they splutter or pop before adding other spices, dal or vegetables. This technique of tempering spices in oil is called chhunka in Odia, also known as tadka or chaunk or vaghar in other languages. The frying of these spices immediately releases strong aroma and flavors into the oil.
It is quite the exceptional spice and can be purchased online or in Indian specialty stores. This quick spice blend can be easily made at home. I have many recipes in my channel with this spice blend.
You can easily scale up or down the recipe to make a small or a large batch. I keep pancha phutana in the fridge so that the spices remain flavorful and aromatic for a longer time. You can also keep it in an airtight jar in a cool dry place. So let’s get started.
Prep time | 2 mins
Difficulty level | no skills required
Ingredients
Jeera/ cumin seeds, 1 tbsp
Kala jeera/ nigella seeds, 1 tbsp (also called black Cumin or Kalonji)
Methi/ fenugreek seeds, 1 tbsp
Paana mauri/ fennel seeds, 1 tbsp (also known as Saunf)
Sorisa/ brown mustard seeds, 1 tbsp (also known as Sarso)
Instructions
Combine and mix the seeds in a bowl. Store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place.
Use it to temper your dal & vegetarian dishes to give it a rich aroma.
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