Panch Phoron in Pastry: Bringing Bengali Spice to British Baking

Paul Hollywood's praise—"There's such savory spices... there's such a contrast to the sweet fruit... But I really like that... Very clever"—recognizes Rahul's bold fusion of Bengali panch phoron with traditional Chelsea buns. Panch phoron is a five-spice blend of equal parts fennel, cumin, black mustard, nigella, and fenugreek seeds, typically tempered in oil for savory Bengali cooking. Rahul adapted it brilliantly for sweet baking by toasting the whole seeds briefly to release their aromatics, then incorporating them into both the spiced butter and the mango chutney. The result creates layers of complexity: fennel adds sweet licorice notes, cumin brings warmth, mustard provides slight sharpness, nigella contributes onion-like depth, and fenugreek offers maple-like sweetness. Against the sweet mango and tart cranberries, these savory spices create the "stunning" contrast Paul celebrated. This demonstrates how traditional spice blends from one cuisine can be thoughtfully adapted to another culture's classic recipes, creating something new while honoring both traditions.