Panchphoran Green Beans (Green Beans With Bengali Spices)

Here's a simple, aromatic vegetable side dish that you can toss together in minutes—as long as you have fresh green beans and this easy to make Bengali panchphoran spice blend on hand. The fragrant spice blend of brown or black mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, and sesame seeds is briefly toasted in hot oil in a skillet before green beans and a few tablespoons water are quickly added to the skillet; the skillet is then covered to briefly steam and tenderize the beans before they're cooked uncovered until tender-crisp and coated in the crunchy, savory spice blend. The dish takes fewer than 10 minutes to cook and pairs well with chicken, fish, other proteins, or simply served over a bed of rice.

I started using this Bengali spice blend called panchphoran back in 2007 at my catering company, Un-Curry. The first dish I made using the blend was a recipe for boiled chopped potatoes coated in the seasoning. The simple potatoes were transformed by the blend's explosion of flavor. For me and my catering clients, it was love at first bite. I next started using panchphoran with green beans. I found that green bean’s delicate, grassy flavor paired perfectly with the nutty tasting, aromatic spice mixture. Panchphoran beans are now a popular dish at most of my family parties.

What Is Panchphoran and Why I Love It

When people tell me they love Indian food, I thank them. I also explain that because India is such a large country with a long history of migration and settlement, it is home to many kinds of cuisines, there is no one “Indian” food per se. Recipes are regional and the Bengali spice blend in this recipe is an example of that regionality. I’m from Maharashtra on India’s west coast but panchphoran (which means “five spices to be popped”), comes from the state of Bengal on India’s eastern coast. It is also used in some states that border Bengal, including Odisha and Bihar.

I asked my friend, Mondira (Banerji) Jaisimha who is of Bengali origin, for her thoughts on the spice blend. “Paanch Phoron (panchphoran) brings back memories of my paternal grandfather's village home, my maternal grandparents’ house in South India, and those happy days when my mother cooked Bengali food! The aroma of this five spice mix cooking is the precursor to most Bengali meals, and for me, the knowledge that the best food is on its way!”

Traditionally panchphoran is a blend of brown or black mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, nigella seeds (also called charnushka), and fennel seeds. Each seed brings its own unique flavor and texture to the mix: Brown (or black) mustard seeds are Dijon-like, with a slightly peppery taste when bitten into; cumin is mild and smoky; fenugreek has maple syrupy notes as well as bitterness; nigella seeds are oniony; and fennel seeds have a sweet anise flavor. Pop the five-spice blend into the hot mustard seed oil that Bengalis favor (or your favorite high smoke-point neutral oil) and you get a complex aroma and flavor profile, in which each spice harmonizes yet remains recognizable on its own. Though sesame seeds are not traditional in the mixture, I also like to add them for a rich, nutty flavor.

Serving Suggestions for Panchphoran

While I love panchphoran with green beans, the spice blend also pairs well with many other vegetables, including broccoli, spinach, butternut squash, and white radishes, as well as potatoes. The recipe makes almost a full cup of the spice blend, which is much more than needed for the recipe. But since the spices are whole, this mix stays fresher and flavorful much longer than powdered spices do. Store it in a jar in a cool, dark cupboard and it will last for up to four months.

Key Steps for Perfect Spice-Coated Green beans

As outlined above, cooking the green beans with the spices is fairly simple and fast, but there are a few key steps to avoid burnt spices or tough, leathery beans. To avoid scorching the seeds and spices, once the oil is very hot, start with one tester mustard seed—if it pops, you're ready to go and at that point, remove the pan from the heat, add the spice blend, and cook it just briefly before you add the green beans and return the mixture to the heat. 

I prefer to use green beans labeled haricot verts, which tend to be a bit more tender than other green beans and quick more quickly because they are thinner, but any green bean variety will work. If you use beans that have not had their strings removed—such as fresh farmers market beans—I recommend stringing them, so give yourself a few extra minutes for this prep. 

Chapatis, naan, or white rice pair well with these beans as part of an Indian meal. The dish also makes a delicious accompaniment to steak, chicken, fish, and other proteins. Or you can simply serve them atop white rice for a simple, light supper.