‘You must have Panch Phoran in your spices’ she said, as she scurried over to the shelf and scooped up a small package for me to add to my collection of good things. ‘When you think of Indian cooking, you think of Panch Phoran’. The whiff from the package does suggest exotic Indian restaurants where mothers and grandmothers cook for their patrons, using handed down recipes from their mothers and grandmothers. ‘She’ is the patron of Three Sisters Indian Market in Orem, Utah. She is very helpful, sweet and passionate about good food.
Panch Phoran means 5 spices in the Maithili language of Eastern India and Nepal. The spices are whole seeds and are usually tempered or ‘bloomed’ in a little hot oil first before being added to you your recipe. This is sometimes added to other spices being bloomed in some oil at the end. Popping of the seeds is normal but be careful not to burn them. The mixture is used whole so don’t think you have to grind them. Experiment a little. Leave a comment and let us know what you did.
Potatoes! Perfect fit, nice oven roasted potatoes with Panch Phoran and some oil with a little salt. It is actually quite good. I suggest you try this and maybe make a blend of spices for yourself. This Panch Shoran appears to have an equal mixture of yellow mustard seed, nigella seed, fenugreek seed, fennel seed and cumin seed. If you want to buy the mix already made like I did, try your local Indian store first or if you can’t find it there try Organic Bengal Five Spices Blend Pack, 8 Oz, Salt Free, Freshly Packed
A simple and tasty way to add an Indian side dish to your meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs Panch Phoran
- 3 Tbs vegetable oil
- 2 medium red potatoes, sliced evenly
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Heat oil in oven proof skillet or pan and add spice blend, stir, cook about 30 seconds, add potatoes and stir some more, coating the potatoes with the flavored oil. Sprinkle some salt and place in oven, roast until potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven, check for seasoning, add more salt if necessary.
