Cardamom is a spice used in various dishes because its aroma enhances the flavour of both sweet and savoury recipes. It is mostly used in Indian cuisine. The spice’s warm, slightly citrus aroma takes curries, rice dishes, teas, and desserts to another level. In this blog, I will show you how to use cardamom in moderation to enjoy various dishes.

Using Cardamom in Indian Curries and Savoury Dishes:

Cardamom pairs well with gravies, tomato-based dishes, and stews which is slow cooked. It brings warmth to curries. I will list out some ways in which you can add cardamom to your dish to make it amazing:

1. Temper: Whole green or black cardamom pods are most commonly added at the beginning of cooking. They are sauteed in ghee or oil with onion and ginger-garlic paste to release their aroma.

2. Ground Cardamom: You can sprinkle a pinch of ground cardamom in your recipes like Butter chicken, Shaahi Chicken, Paneer gravy, or chicken korma too to add depth to your dish.

3. Garam Masala: Finally, it’s garam masala. It is a blend of spices in which cardamom is the main ingredient. Cardamom enhances dishes like Macrooni, Biriyani, Pulao, Jeera Rice, Dal Makhani, aloo gobi, matar paneer, tandoori chicken and many more recipes.

Using Cardamom in Indian Desserts

Cardamom is the key ingredient for making many Indian desserts, which enhances its richness and aroma, some of the recipes in which you can add cardamom are listed below:

1. Kheer: In Kheer also called rice pudding, cardamom has to be added when the milk is boiled and simmered. You should add it before adding rice to the milk. By doing this, it adds warmth and fragrance to the kheer.

2. Gulab Jamun: In the process of making these sweet balls, you can add ground cardamom to the syrup or the dough to boost the flavour and taste of Gulab Jamun. This is the secret of Indian moms in making yummy gulab jamuns.

3. Ladoo: The aromatic touch that laddoo has is the magic of cardamom. Ground Cardamom is added to many types of laddoo like Besan laddoo, coconut laddoo, and also motichoor laddoo.

4. Jalebi: You can try adding a pinch of ground cardamom to the batter. This enhances the taste of jalebi and makes it so delicious.

Let’s look into Dairy-Based and Bakery Desserts with cardamom,

1. Rasamalai: Adding cardamom in milk fills a magical taste in spongy rasamalai dumplings, which doesn’t allow anyone to say no to this yummy recipe.

2. Kulfi: Mouth-watering kulfi is made with a combination of saffron, nuts and ground cardamom. So, cardamom gives the signature flavour to kulfi making it unavoidable.

3. Cookies and cakes: Cardamom goes well with cinnamon and nutmeg while adding it to cookies, cakes and also sweet bread. 

Using Cardamom in Beverages

1. Masala Chai:  The chai found in every Indian household is imperfect without adding cardamom. In our Tea, we use anyone of both ground cardamom or crushed pods by adding it with tea leaves, milk and also helping spices like cinnamon and cloves.

2. Cardamom Coffee:  Cardamom coffee also called Qahwa is a coffee brewed in Indian style with cardamom. It enhances the flavour of the coffee with its warm and citrusy notes.

3. Lassi and Masala Milk: A smooth blend of yoghurt, sugar, and saffron with cardamom becomes a refreshing drink for summer. While Masala milk also called Haldi doodh is considered good for colds and coughs and is made with a combo of turmeric, ginger and cardamom.

Here is a quick table to understand the different ways in which you can use cardamom:

Tips for Cooking with Cardamom

Here are some of the tips that you can follow to boost the taste of your cooking,

• Whole pods can be used in dishes which is slow-cooked, by doing this, it will release the flavour gradually all over the dish.
• The second tip would be to always grind cardamom when it is fresh. Ground cardamom loses its depth and flavour immediately, so it is always best to only grind the cardamom you need at a time.
• Finally rather than using cardamom alone, you can pair it with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg or saffron that goes well with cardamom.

The Science Behind Using Cardamom in Cooking

Have you ever thought about the aroma, and where it comes from? It comes from compounds like cineole and limonene, which give a slightly sweet, citrusy and minty flavour. These compounds go well together with oils, nuts or dairy products. That is why, when you add cardamom to rich ingredients like ghee, coconut milk, cream or any sweet dishes, it comes out very well.

You should understand cardamom and how to and how much to add. It is also important to take note that while using ground cardamom, grind it fresh or roast it in oil or dry and then grind it to get the cardamom flavour in depth.

Cardamom Variations Regionally

India is the largest user of cardamom, but it is also used in most global cuisines. In the Middle East, cardamom is mostly used in coffee, rice dishes, and meat stews. Scandinavian countries, it is used in pastries and bread. In Ethiopia, it is an important ingredient in the berbere spice blend that is added to stews and lentil dishes. Exploring the usage of cardamom in different regions of the world will inspire you to discover unexpected ways to use cardamom in your cooking.

The Final Note

Cardamom is a spice that changes the taste of the entire dish with its flavour and aroma. Understanding its flavour profile will help you make great dishes and get a lot of compliments. So the next time, when you use cardamom think more than just the usual recipes and its rich aroma will inspire you with unique recipes. Happy Cooking!

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