I was searching for red lentil dal recipes when Susan posted her Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran recipe on Facebook. She can read my mind now!! You might be surprised to learn that Woodstock does not have a large Indian population and the neighborhood Jewel does not sell Panch Phoran. I improvised by using just the cumin, fennel and mustard seeds I had in my spice rack. I added ground cumin, cayenne pepper, more turmeric and ground coriander, because once I start adding spices, it is hard for me to stop. Toasting the 3 seeds instead of 5 still made the kitchen smell good and the dish was flavorful enough. I will keep an eye out for Panch Phoran though; I can only imagine how amazing this dish would be with fenugreek and kalonji.
