Red Lentil Dal with Panch Phoron

Panch phoron is a five-spice mixture used in Bengal, Bangladesh and Nepal. Whole spice seeds are mixed in equal quantities, each bringing something: musky earth from cumin; bitter brown sugar from fenugreek; aniseed from fennel; charred onion from nigella; and a nutty heat from mustard (or sometimes radhuni is used instead).

The secret is that the spices must sing. As they toast in the hot oil, they will sizzle, splutter and pop, removing bitterness and releasing the mellow fragranc