Topic: Cardamom (Elaichi)

[Cory Ander]

Cardamon (Elaichi)

Cardamon is available in various main forms:

• Green pods
• Brown (or ?black?) pods
• White pods
• Seeds (invariably from green pods)
• Powder (invariable from ground green pods or seeds)

Known as "The Queen of Spices", cardamom has a very distinctive, fragrant, exotic, aromatic, lemony smell and flavour.  It is a related to ginger.

Green cardamom pods are most commonly available.  These should be used unless a recipe distinctly states otherwise.  The greener the pod, the fresher they are (unless dyed of course!).  Whole pods are often added to rice dishes where their shells should be lightly crushed to expose the seeds inside and maximise the release of flavour.  They are also used in sweets, pilaus and birianis and often as an ingredient in Garam Masala.

White cardamom pods also grow naturally but are less commonly found.  They have a similar, but less pronounced, taste and smell as green cardamom pods.  They are often used in sweet dishes because of their less pronounced flavour.  But beware bleached green pods!

Brown (or black) cardamom pods are quite different.  They have a rougher, hairier shell and have a much more pronounced and powerful smoky, musty, smell and flavour to them.  They are most commonly used in garam masala (ground) and in rice dishes (whole).

Photo (left to right)

• Green cardamom pods
• Powder (from ground green pods)
• Black cardamom pods

[DalPuri]

Green Cardamom
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWc7yNgasYY


Black Cardamom
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SktSkDG1W-s
and i always thought it was a natural smokiness like wild oregano on the hills in Turkey.   : ;D

[spiceyokooko]

...and i always thought it was a natural smokiness like wild oregano on the hills in Turkey

Fascinating videos, particularly the one on black cardamons, thanks for posting them.