You can purchase cardamom as pods, seeds or powder. For the boldest flavor, always start with whole pods since ground cardamom is more mild. If your recipe calls for whole pods, lightly toast them in a pan over medium heat until they’re aromatic, and remember to take them out before serving.
Which type of cardamom is best?
Green cardamom
Green elaichi is one of the best types of elaichi. The Cardamom Green is native to southern India and Sri Lanka but is now also cultivated in countries like Thailand, Nepal and Central America.
Is ground cardamom as good as cardamom pods?
A simple rule of thumb is that 6 cardamom pods equal 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom, so if you ever need to swap one for the other, use that conversion.
Do you grind the whole cardamom pod or just the seeds?
How to Cook with It: Steep whole pods (lightly crush them to release more flavor) in liquid where flavor can be slowly extracted over time. For greater potency, grind whole pods, and for even more potent flavor, extract the seeds and grind them on their own (the seeds can also be used whole or crushed).
Are cardamom seeds good for you?
It may lower blood pressure, improve breathing and aid weight loss. What’s more, animal and test-tube studies show that cardamom may help fight tumors, improve anxiety, fight bacteria and protect your liver, though the evidence in these cases is less strong.
Can I use cardamom seeds instead of pods?
Both forms of cardamom can be used in the same recipe, but the method of preparation will differ. You will have to split or crush the pods to expose the seeds to be used for slow-cooking.
Should you eat cardamom pods?
It’s perfectly okay to eat cardamom pods. You can chew the seeds, but the pod itself is quite fibrous so it can be hard to chew. Apart from that, there are no drawbacks of eating cardamom pods, and you can add them to dishes as an infusion.
Can I replace cardamom seeds with ground cardamom?
The cardamom pods contain tiny, spicy sweet seeds that you need to remove from the pods and crush before using in a recipe. In place of 5 cardamom pods (with the seeds removed and crushed), you can use 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. See our Spice Guidefor more information and tips on cooking with spices.
Which cardamom is best for baking?
green cardamom seeds
As mentioned, ground cardamom comes from grinding green cardamom seeds. Ground cardamom is usually called for when the spice is added to batters and baked goods, while it’s more common to see whole cardamom pods when the purpose is to infuse flavor by steeping the pods in liquid or sauteing in oil.
What is the difference between cardamom and cardamom pods?
The main difference between cardamom seeds and pods is the shape and texture. Since they come from the same plant, the flavor is relatively the same. Cardamom pods are trigonal, whereas the seeds are black and small. Whole pods have clumps of hard, crunchy seeds inside them that can be separated and crushed.
How do you get the most flavor out of cardamom?
Toast your cardamom pods before grinding them for more flavor. Toasting your spices can really intensify their flavor. Sometimes a recipe will call for you to toast your spices first, and other times it may leave it up to you to decide whether you want to or not.
Can you bake with whole cardamom seeds?
If your recipe calls for whole pods, lightly toast them in a pan over medium heat until they’re aromatic, and remember to take them out before serving. Other recipes will call for the seeds—break open the pods and grind them up yourself for the best flavor.
Who should not eat cardamom?
Allergies Due To Cardamom
If used for a prolonged time and in large quantities, cardamom might lead to some unexplained allergic reactions (1). Skin allergy known as contact dermatitis is a popular type of skin rash developed due to over intake of cardamom (2).
Can you eat cardamom seeds raw?
Of course, the green cardamom pods are often eaten whole in India. They are often used as a mouth freshener particularly after the consumption of raw onions in salads or even raw garilc (quite rarely though) in some dishes. It had a pleasantly sweet but slightly strong taste. Most people like it.
What are the side effects of eating cardamom?
There is concern that cardamom might cause a miscarriage. Breast-feeding: Cardamom is commonly consumed in foods. There isn’t enough reliable information to know if cardamom is safe to use in larger amounts as medicine when breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.
How many cardamom seeds are in a pod?
As a rough guideline, there are about a dozen seeds per pod, and 10 pods will produce about 11/2 teaspoons of ground cardamom.
What spice is closest to cardamom?
Both cinnamon and nutmeg are each widely recommended as cardamom substitutes. Cinnamon is the most popular of the two for use as a standalone cardamom replacement; however, nutmeg is still a popular and relatively inexpensive alternative.
How much cardamom should I use?
Cardamom is wonderfully strong and fragrant, and using fresh pods makes a world of difference in flavor. Just keep in mind that 10 pods equals 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom when you’re out shopping, because you’ll soon be using them to make everything, from teas to rice, chicken to truffles.
Is cardamom a blood thinner?
This is because cardamom can help improve blood circulation in the lungs by blood thinning action.
Does cardamom lower blood pressure?
Thus, the present study demonstrates that small cardamom effectively reduces blood pressure, enhances fibrinolysis and improves antioxidant status, without significantly altering blood lipids and fibrinogen levels in stage 1 hypertensive individuals.
Is cardamom anti-inflammatory?
This study is the first to provide evidence that cardamom fruit and seed extracts through their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties may be therapeutic agents of interest against periodontal infections.