Five spices powder
Panch phoron
- 1 TBSP CINNAMON
- 1 TBSP ANIS SEED OR POWDERED STAR ANIS
- 1 TBSP GINGER POWDER
- 1 TBSP BLACK PEPPER
- 1 TBSP GROUND CLOVES
- 2 TBSP CUMIN SEEDS
- 1 TBSP FENNEL SEEDS
- 1 TBSP NIGELLA SEEDS
- 1 TBSP MUSTARD SEEDS
- 1 TSP FENUGREEK SEEDS
As with most of the spice mixtures, the existing recipes vary considerably. Some recipes actually should be called six or seven spices powder. In this one, I only got away buy putting the two anis varieties together. I found I had to do that, cinnamon and both kind of anise are always there, even though sometimes a different kind of cinnamon is used, which is called cassia.
This spice mixture originally comes from China, and is used in the Cantonese kitchen. I have often cheated and used the spice mix in cakes and cookies instead of biscuit spices or in recipes that called for a mixture of cinnamon, anis, pepper and/or ginger. Interestingly, this is often the case in recipes from the Middle East and from Madura. Fusion kitchen after all is the signature of Worldcook.
Put the spices together and grind them finely. Store airtight.
In the original version "radhuni" is used, a spice from Bengal, but as it is hard to obtain outside India, mustard seed is often used.
Panch phoron means "five-spice" in Bengali and comes from Bengal on the east side of India. Apparently, the mixture of five spices appeals to the cooking addicts and foodies; the Chinese love their "five spices powder" most. Panch phoron is also very popular in Bangladesh, which is adjacent to Bengal. Apparently, spices are not hampered in their travel by human made borders.
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