Alastair Little, Richard Whittington

Cardamom

Appears in
The Daily Mail Modern British Cookbook
The Daily Mail Modern British Cookbook

By Alastair Little and Richard Whittington

Published 1998

  • About
Cardamom is used in both savoury and sweet Indian dishes. When fresh, cardamom pods are green, the shade growing less pronounced as they dry and age. The seeds held within these pods are the true fruits, which can be bought separately, either whole or ground. The flavour of cardamom is very strong and complex, a mixture of eucalyptus, orange, lemon and camphor, and use should therefore be restrained or it can be too dominant.

Cardamom seeds are one of the principal elements of garam masala, the aromatic spice mix that is added to curries towards the end of cooking. When flavouring dishes like curry stews or rice pilaffs, the pods can be added whole and discarded before serving. They also feature in paan, the small packets of betel nut and aromatics chewed throughout India to freshen the mouth and breath after eating strongly flavoured food.