Green cardamom is the most common form of cardamom. For the boldest flavor, always start with whole pods since ground cardamom is more mild. However, storing these incorrectly may result in flavor loss. You can purchase cardamom as pods, seeds or powder. Cardamom Pods I like to buy cardamom pods and then grind it once in a while as I need it. The flavor of cardamom comes from its seeds, so both the pods and seeds share the same flavor when it’s fresh. Thanks this was so helpful. They were out of cardamom pods and sent me ground cardamom instead. First of I would like to thank you for taking my trivial questions seriously. Phew! The white is simply a bleached version of the green while black cardamom is related to green cardamom but is not from the same plant. You may remember that in that post I mentioned that I made it when we went to Kumar’s house back in late January. It is not just a spice, it has health benefits: Like ginger, cardamom is great for digestion and … Grinding whole cardamom pods creates a full-flavored spice. The good Persian girl that I am, I always have a jar of ground cardamom on hand, but I also always have cardamom pods on hand because I love to brew my tea with cardamom pods. Cardamom has a strong, pungent aroma and a flowery, almost eucalyptus type flavor. Now, I should have known this little piece of information, since I helped him unpack his boxes and organize his kitchen when he recently moved into his new house. First crush the cardamom pods enough to break them up so that the seeds are exposed. The pod can be used whole or ground, and each pod contains a number of seeds. But I didn’t! Reza. It becoming so much fun spending time in the kitchen. One problem with cardamom is the expense. Bad girl. Remember the glorious Brie en Croûte With Pistachios & Almonds that I posted a few weeks ago? Sofreh Haft Seen ~ The 7 “S” of Norouz Spread. They LOVED it. Hello, Kumar came to the rescue and immediately offered to help out by grinding some cardamom pods for me. ground cardamom Powder of 12 cardamom seeds = 1 cardamom pod Sometimes what you have at home is cardamom powder, however, the recipe calls for crushed cardamom pods. Dear Chef, The seeds are small and black, while the pods differ in color and size by species. I know it’s obvious for most – but I am unsure and I want to get it right. Cardamom is used in its ground form in both Middle Eastern and Scandinavian baked goods. When I packed all the ingredients I neglected to pack one important spice: Ground Cardamom. As cardamom pods come from the ginger family, they are often used for both cooking and baking. Unless, of course, you’re the type that doesn’t peel ginger before grating either. This has two big advantages over buying pre-ground cardamom – it’s fresher tasting and less expensive. , Dear Dear CHEF, No wonder “cardamom” means “grains of Paradise.” A member of the ginger family, Elettaria cardamomum is available in several forms. You can also buy a black podded cardamom (Amomum costatum and Amomum subulatum), which is a different species that I know little about (other than they have a different, more smokey flavour). when i read your “confession” about cardamom, I was surprised because I thought everybody knows how to clean/grind them. Pre-ground cardamom is handy in the spice cabinet, yet it can diminish in potency quickly, so buying and grinding the pods is the best way to harness the spice’s full flavor. It is best stored in the pod, as exposed or ground seeds quickly lose their flavour. Cardamom pods are spindle-shaped and have a triangular cross-section. I was trying to make a banana lassi when I realized the recipe called for ground cardamom and I only had cardamom pods on hand. Given these results, we’ll grind the pods instead of buying preground cardamom—but take the easy road and leave the husks on. True cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) has a green pod – this is the type that I use. cardamom seeds (ground) = 1 tsp. Cardamom is a complex tasting spice that combines citrusy, spicy and herbal flavors all in one pod. Whole cardamom pods are used in savory Indian and Middle Eastern recipes. Organic Ground Cardamom. How much is this “bunch” in terms of volume or weight? Thank you in advance Cardamom is a spice made from the seed pods of various plants in the ginger family. Next, I just want to say that I must have mixed up Ghorme sabzi with Khoroshte karafs. You can purchase the spice preground … I know what you’re thinking, and no, you can’t just grind the whole pod. Thankfully, I was at an Indian household where cardamom is standard. But really, who am I to judge? Needless to say, I have never had to use cardamom pods to make ground cardamom. Because we have also heard that some cooks insist on ditching the husk of the pod and grinding just the interior seeds (which make up almost 70 percent of the pod), we made these recipes with just the ground seeds as well. Pods! We source our organic whole green pods and organic decorticated green pods from Guatemala, our organic ground cardamon from Nicaragua, and our organic black cardamon pods from India. Making sure you have enough pods to produce the amount of ground cardamom you need can be a bit of a challenge due to the uniqueness of each cardamom pod. Low and behold ground cardamom is nowhere to be found in Kumar’s pantry. I know that will probably lose its freshness fairly quickly, so my question is this. Cardamom pods encapsulate 8 to 16 seeds that are used as the spice. They also found that there was very little difference in flavor whether the spice was ground from the seeds alone or with the husks included. He took out his little mortar and went to work. since cardamom loses flavor quickly once ground, it is often preferable to buy the long-storing whole pods and grind only the amount needed for a recipe. There are 17 to 20 tiny inner seeds in each peanut sized pod. I now want to try Ghormesabzi. If you’ve ever visited an Indian restaurant, that’s likely the aroma that hit you first. Cardamom pods have 8 to 16 seeds that are ground and used as seasonings. It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. I would say there are generally 1 cup of mint per bunch and 2 cups of parsley per bunch. Green cardamom also has a hint of lemon in its taste that some call “grapefruity”. While native to subtropical Asia and a prominent ingredient in Indian cuisine, modern-day cardamom is also produced in Guatemala, Malaysia, and Tanzania. Confession Time: The Cardamom Police might come after me for this one, but sometimes when I’m in a HUGE hurry, I throw entire pods into my spice grinder and let it rip. Tasters agreed that home-ground cardamom (both whole pod and seeds only) boasted much stronger flavor than did preground. Cardamom is the common name for certain plant species native to India and southeastern Asia as well as the name for their aromatic pods (cardamom pods) and cardamom seeds The true cardamom has large leaves and white flowers with blue stripes and yellow borders and grows to about 3 m (about 10 ft) in height. Good call, my friend! It’s non measurable. Then I use a wire mesh to “strain out” the powder. Sanam has always enjoyed cooking and she first practiced her cooking skills in her grandmother’s kitchen, who was indeed her inspiration. So this post is for all the folks like me who didn’t know that the cardamom husk needs to be removed…I do claim to know a lot, but I sure don’t claim to know everything!!!! 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. © 2021 America's Test Kitchen. And to think all this time I was doing it wrong. A tablespoon of pods should yield two teaspoons of ground cardamom, give or take. I am so glad I posted this!!! If you are using a recipe that calls for whole cardamom but you have only ground, you can substitute the ground for the whole cardamom. Thank you for this tip, it’s just what I needed as I only have the pods. The oval-shaped pods are green I hope this helps! Cardamom Pods vs. A safe rule of thumb is to purchase between 8 to 10 cardamom pods per 1 tsp. It is sold in whole pods, shelled whole seeds, or in powdered form. So green onions, there is usually 5-6 green onions per bundle. It’s also highly fragrant. As a little girl I loved halva and sholezard (I still do but don’t have much time to make them) and when my mom was making them, my job was to un-pod the cardamom and grind them, i was happy to do it because i knew what the outcome was, delicious halva or sholezard. I tried your Fesenjoon and invited my Danish friends. I grew up eating Frito Pie. Green Cardamom Pods have a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance and a minty coolness. Wow, thank you for this great Web page! Then I discard any bits of hull that are left in the mesh strainer. Plus I think the pods have a longer shelf life than the ground stuff. Make sure that all that is left are the seeds. German botanist, Jakob Theodor Tabernaemontanus, recommended in his book “Neuw Kreuterbuch” (“New Spice Book”) that bruises be treated with ground cardamom, mixed with honey. They possess strong, camphor-like intense flavor, and commonly employed in … @ Laila, Oh my God! I don’t have a recipe for ghormeh sabzi yet, which recipe are you referring to about the bunches? You can find cardamom pods in three colors: green, black and white with green being the most common of the three. They can be heated in oil to impart flavor and doing so can sometimes cause them to pop open and release the seeds. Cardamom has a strong, unique spicy-sweet taste, which is slightly aromatic. If you have cardamom seeds out of the pod, about 18 seeds is the same as one pod of cardamom. While whole cardamom can also lose its flavor, it has a much longer shelf life and is more likely to have its characteristic pungency when you grind just before using it. In general I never buy ground spices and prefer to grind my own. ! Ground cardamom is readily available and found in grocery stores. PS: I am so glad for your site – I find myself going though all your wonderful art for HOURS. Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum), also known as Nepal cardamom (badi or kali elaichi in India, and Nepal), is relatively a big-sized pod in the same Zingiberaceae family.A. The pod itself contains a number of seeds, and is very easy to grind. I need to just buy a proper jar of pre-ground cardamom and call it a day, because all I have on hand currently? Dear Reza, you just made my day! Thanks to you. I assumed that everything got crushed together. Cardamom pods come in three colors: black, green and white.It turns out that each color has a distinct personality, flavor-wise. Plus, pods … Learn real cooking skills from your favorite food experts, The iconic magazine that investigates how and why recipes work, American classics, everyday favorites, and the stories behind them, Experts teach 320+ online courses for home cooks at every skill level, Kid tested, kid approved: Welcome to America’s Test Kitchen for the next generation.