It is the start of another Introduction to Indian cooking class. One of things that never fail to surprise students is how much flavor on teaspoon of this simple spice holds. The word Panch means Five in hindi or Bengali and phoron means seasoning. This blend contains equal amounts of Nigella seeds, Fennel seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Mustard seeds and Cumin seeds.
The typical use of this is in a stir-fry although it is also used in tempering dals. I usually have a classic cauliflower recipe with potatoes and peas, it is a staple that my mother makes and it is quite a stapple both in my house and classes.
What was funny was also that Paul Bianchi who was in the class while spluttering the phoron, asks me what I know about Calcutta spices, without making the connection between Bengali and Calcutta since it turns out one of his best friends Gautam is from Calcutta, well maybe Gautam will be happy to try the Alu Gobi (potato and cauliflower) with the salmon curry that I will be teaching next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment