In Indian cuisine, the most popular spice is the powder garam masala, the spice mix that is the main component to many well-known curry dishes. In the newly released cookbook by Rinku Bhattacharya, Bengali Five Spice Chronicles: Exploring the Cuisine of Eastern India, I learned of a new spice mix called panch phoron. It is a five-spice blend of equal parts whole spices: Black mustard seed, Fenugreek, Cumin seed, Fennel seed, and Nigella seeds. In nearly every recipe in her cookbook, this spice blend was an essential ingredient. I had always wanted to be able to learn how to use exotic spices such as fenugreek and nigella seeds. I was not only excited to learn that there were other spice blends used in Indian cuisine, but that I would also be able to use these new spices in a variety of vegetarian and meat dishes that went far beyond the traditionally known curry dishes.  The Bengal region…