The toasting process will vary from one recipe to another, but most often it is used as a way to release the essential oils in the cardamom. This allows for a more fragrant and more flavorful dish. When you toast your cardamom pods, you’re going to want a heavy bottomed pan that can withstand direct heat. You’ll also want a set of tongs or a spoon that won’t scratch up or damage your pan.
You may hear that you shouldn’t toast your cardamom because it will make the flavor too dominant, but this is not true at all. It will actually mellow out the flavor and create an even deeper and richer taste.
The flavor of cardamom can be compared to a blend of eucalyptus, mint, and ginger. It’s hard to describe, but it creates an amazing taste when paired with other spices and herbs.
The answer is: You can never go overboard with cardamom—because you can start with the whole pod and remove the seeds from inside. In fact, it is best if you do. This is certainly a common practice in India, where cardamom is frequently used in curries and other savory dishes.
Tasting cardamom pods can help you decide if they are right for your recipe. But remember that, much like garlic, once the pods have been removed, they will lose their flavor quickly. So make sure to use them as soon as possible.
Toasting Cardamom: When toasting cardamom pods, toast them gently until they just begin to release their aroma, but do not let them burn (this will give your dish an unpleasant bitter taste). Be careful not to set off your smoke detector! If you don’t know how to tell when the pods are ready, smell them periodically.
General Cooking
Every time I bake a cake, I wonder if it’s okay to toast the cardamom pods before grinding them. Maybe I’m just paranoid about food poisoning and ruining my friends’ appetites for cake, but is it really safe to just throw the cardamom pods in at the last minute without toasting them first?
I know it’s common practice to toast them, but I’m wondering if that practice has become so widespread just because it’s a pain to have to keep removing the pods from the hot oil every two seconds while they’re cooking.
Trying to cook with cardamom pods is like trying to write a love letter while you’re also crocheting: you can do both things at once, but you’re going to be paying a lot more attention to one than the other. So what can you do? You can make your own cardamom pods! All you have to do is buy the seeds (available online) and plant them in the ground. They’ll grow into bushes that produce their own little pods.
Or…you could buy pre-made pods from India and not have to fool with this at all. That way, you get all of the painstaking preparation work done for you already, and all you have left is
**The many uses of cardamom pods are widely documented. The spice is used in candy, teas, and coffee. But how do you use cardamom? It’s easy, but it depends on what you are preparing!
Coffee: The seeds of the cardamom pod can be used to make a great cup of coffee. Heat some milk or half-and-half, then remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon toasted ground cardamom pods. You can also add cacao powder for a mocha flavor or any other spices you like to give it an extra kick!
Treats: There are several ways to make sweets with cardamom pods. Add 1/4 teaspoon to 1 cup sugar when making fruit cakes and gingerbreads. For more variety, try adding cardamom to brownies and cookies.
Food: Cardamom is often used in Indian cuisine. If you want to try cooking with this spice, buy the seeds whole. Add the seeds to your curries or stews for additional flavor.
Tea: One way to use cardamom pods is in tea. Heat up your water for tea and add 1 teaspoon of crushed seeds per cup or pot of tea.*
*Please note
When we cook with spices, we always toast them before adding them to the dish. But there is a big difference between black pepper and cardamom pods.
Cardamom pods have a bitter flavor due to the presence of a compound called cardamonin. This compound is present in the inner soft part of the pods. And that is why, if you crush the pods, you will find it very difficult to crack them because of the toughness of their texture.
Taste, however, gets dulled by roasting. So try roasting your cardamom pods for a short duration (about a minute) and then use them in cooking to get enhanced taste.
If you are grinding your cardamom seeds then roast them for at least 2 minutes before using it in the recipe. However, if you are using whole cardamom seeds then you can get away without roasting them.
Cardamom is one of the most common additions to masala chai in India, as well as a popular spice in Scandinavian baking. It is also used in Mexican and other Latin American cuisines. It is the world’s third-most expensive spice (after saffron and vanilla). Cardamom is native to the Indian subcontinent, where it has been cultivated for centuries.
Tropical evergreen trees that grow to 10-15 feet tall and have broad, dark green leaves. The wood is used for carving. The fruit pods are used for medicinal purposes and culinary flavoring. The seeds are known as cardamom, and each pod contains between 25-40 seeds.
The common name for Elettaria cardamomum, cardamom is often confused with Amomum cardamomum, a related species native to Southeast Asia. Both species produce the same flavor profile, but Amomum has a much stronger odor and is often adulterated with Elettaria in commercial use.
The family name for this plant is Zingiberaceae – a large family that also includes ginger and turmeric. Other variants include
