Topic: cardamon pods when to use

[telecaster445]

I noticed that few recipes on these boards seem to include green cardamon pods in the mains. My local TA will often leave a couple of the chaps in Bhunas and Dupiazas. ( I'm used to fishing them out).

Is this a regional (South london) thing? In what context do members suggest their use (rice excluded)?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Is this a regional (South london) thing? In what context do members suggest their use (rice excluded)?

I lightly crush them and add them to most dishes (most dishes with a sauce, that is, not dry dishes such as tandoori chicken); but then I love them, and my wife hates them, so she always complains.  (She's Vietnamese/Chinese, so not used to our South London ways !).

[Razor]

Hi TC,

In these parts (The Red Republic of Mancunia) we rarely find cardamoms in anything but pilau rice.

With that said, it is quite common to use them in a base, as an infusion, along with star anise, cassia bark, bay leaf and cloves but I think this lends itself more toward 'Balti' than BIR.

Hope that helps.

Ray

[Secret Santa]

I noticed that few recipes on these boards seem to include green cardamon pods in the mains...Is this a regional (South london) thing?

Oh that's interesting tc. I always used to get whole spices in my curries, cardamoms included, when I lived in London (Notting Hill Gate some 30 years ago!) but as I gradually migrated North they disappeared.

I thought they were just disappearing as times moved on and tastes changed but it's good to know that some still include them.

[JerryM]

In what context do members suggest their use (rice excluded)?

i've not seen any clear guidance of best practise at frying stage.

i tried recently adding with the oil before the g/g ginger. it did not sit well with how they taste in BIR (still a dryness). i use them in base but as whole items have rarely let them bypass the blending (once by error).

going fwd i'm probably going to drop a few in the finished base. alternatively will add to base using spice ball. if you don't use a spice ball or equivalent methods then this is the 1st port of call.

[Domi]

I break the pods open and use the seeds in a dopiaza....I just add them to the spices and fry off after caremelising the onions then the g&g then in with the spices then base (if I'm using one).

[solarsplace]

Hi

In these parts - the hamp-of-shire - we like to add thrice or so in with our potatoes when we are boiling them for our saag aloo etc.

We often allow one or more to escape into the main dish too, like one of our favourite restaurants likes to do.

Really p*ssed the wife off too, when she bites into one unexpected - but I love them

[Mikka1]

These days I add them to hot oil, very hot oil, with other solid spices. I'm not too keen on biting into too many however.

[Vindaloo-crazy]

I've never found whole spices in a curry in God's country (Merseyside). Like you said it must be a regional thing.

[JerryM]

I break the pods open and use the seeds

Domi,

i have this on my mind to try. so far i have only used them whole and added to the oil with the g/g. with hindsight i felt this early frying was not what is needed to produce the sort of soft taste experience in BIR (clearly these whole pods come through from base cooking - added post blending).

it sounds from your post that frying the seeds makes a difference in terms of getting more taste than frying them whole. i will certainly give it a try.

do you have a feel for how much more flavour is obtained - is it x2 for example.