Topic: How to use cardamon etc

[Elmore123]

This will probably qualify as the dumbest question ever asked, but after going through the 11 pages of this topic I just have to.
Is there any special way of using cardamon and star anise in cooking.  I understand that green cardamon will explode? in a hot pan, or you can bash it with the back of a knife, but what about brown (Black?) cardamon and star anise.  Do they need to be cracked?http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/Smileys/default/undecided.gif

[timeless]

Don't think so I put them in when I do my rice and never do and can still taste them in the finished dish.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Hi Elmore, it's a perfectly valid question though I'm not sure if you are referring to cooking in curries or in rice dishes?

Cardamom can be left in whole
Cardamom can be used bashed as you mentioned
Some recipes (particularly in curries) expect you to cut open the green cardamom and take out the little blacks seeds which are then put in as they are or are grinded.

Brown cardamoms are less commonly used in BIR cooking but when I have used them I've put them in whole and the same for Star Anise. I've not had any problems.

Hope this helps

Steve