How to Cook With Cardamom

This ancient spice was highly valued in many cultures, and even now, in many places, it's relatively expensive. But a little can go a long way. The flavorful seed can add a lot to many dishes including pastries, seafood dishes, and even drinks. Some even chew the seeds by themselves to enjoy the flavor, that's been called 'camphorous' or 'eucalyptine'. The spice is also used in jellies, cookies, and pickling agents, to name a few. In Scandinavian and Dutch regions, it's used in baking, and in India, cardamom adds to a variety of dishes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get shelled cardamom seeds. You'll want to keep these outer shells whole until you're ready to cook.

2. Choose your variety. The two main varieties are often called 'black' or 'green' cardamom, and green seems to be the standard. Black cardamom has been described as a little stronger than the green.

3. Heat shells as needed. Some recipes call for the entire pods to be 'fried' or heated.

4. Discard the shells. In most recipes, the shells are not used. In some drinks, the shells are kept in the mix.

5. Grind the seeds into spicy powder. You can easily do this with a mortar and pestle.

6. Add the cardamom spice to other complimentary spices such as cinnamon or cloves. Other ingredients added to cardamom recipes include sweeteners like citrus or other fruits, or even brandy. Some recipes mix cardamom with common spices like black pepper for a different, less sweet taste. Let the spice get equally distributed throughout the dish.

7. Store unused cardamom seeds in the shell away from light or heat.

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Resources

• Spice resource website.
• Another cooking website.