The market · Spices · South Asia, The Middle East, Northern and Central Europe
Cardamom pods
Papery pods of sticky black seeds, floral and resinous — sweet dishes and savoury alike.
floral · citrusy · resinous
What to do with it
ThaiMassaman curryA rich, mild coconut curry fragrant with cardamom, cinnamon and clove, with beef or chicken, potatoes and peanuts, sweet and sour with palm sugar and tamarind.No one here has made it yetPunjabiGajar ka halwaGrated red carrots cooked slowly in milk until it's gone, then fried in ghee with sugar, cardamom and nuts.No one here has made it yetBengaliKosha mangshoGoat meat fried slowly with onion, ginger, garlic and yoghurt until the masala turns dark and clings — Bengal's Sunday mutton, eaten with luchi or rice.No one here has made it yetBengaliChingri malai curryLarge river prawns simmered in coconut milk with ginger, a little ghee and warm whole spices — mild, sweet and rich, and a dish for guests and weddings.No one here has made it yetBengaliRosogollaSoft, spongy balls of fresh chhena cheese, cooked in light sugar syrup until they swell — the sweet Bengal is proudest of.No one here has made it yetKashmiriRogan joshMutton on the bone, browned in hot fat and simmered with yoghurt, fennel, dried ginger and Kashmiri chilli into a deep red gravy that's fragrant more than fiery.No one here has made it yetKashmiriKashmiri yakhniMutton simmered in a pale, gently sour gravy of yoghurt scented with fennel, dried ginger and cardamom — no chilli, no turmeric.No one here has made it yetKashmiriGushtabaLarge, soft balls of mutton pounded smooth with fat, simmered in a spiced yoghurt gravy — traditionally the last meat course of the wazwan.No one here has made it yetKashmiriKahwaGreen tea brewed with saffron, cardamom and cinnamon, sweetened and poured over slivered almonds.No one here has made it yetKashmiriTabak maazLamb ribs simmered in milk with whole spice until tender, then fried in ghee until crisp and glossy.No one here has made it yetKashmiriModur pulavRice cooked in ghee and milk with saffron, sugar, cinnamon and cardamom, studded with dried fruit and nuts.No one here has made it yetRajasthaniGhevarA lacy, honeycombed disc of batter fried in ghee, soaked in syrup and often topped with rabri and nuts.No one here has made it yetRajasthaniMohan maasMutton cooked slowly in milk and cream with cardamom and ground cashews — the mild, rich dish of Rajasthan's royal kitchens.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianAppam and stewBowl-shaped rice pancakes, lacy at the edge and soft in the middle, with a mild stew of coconut milk, whole spices and potato.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianChettinad chickenChicken in a dark, fiery masala of freshly roasted spices — pepper, dried chilli, fennel, star anise — with coconut and curry leaves.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianHyderabadi biryaniMarinated goat or chicken layered raw under half-cooked basmati, with saffron, fried onion and mint, then sealed and cooked slowly on dum.No one here has made it yetSouth IndianPayasamRice, lentils or vermicelli cooked slowly in milk or coconut milk with sugar or jaggery, scented with cardamom and scattered with cashews fried in ghee.No one here has made it yetSri LankanLampraisRice cooked in stock, with a mixed-meat curry, frikkadels, prawn blachan, aubergine pickle and egg, wrapped in banana leaf and baked.No one here has made it yetSri LankanWatalappanA steamed custard of kithul jaggery, coconut milk and eggs, spiced with cardamom and nutmeg and topped with cashews.No one here has made it yetCape MalayTomato bredieLamb or mutton braised slowly with tomatoes, onions and potato, warm with cinnamon, cardamom and a little chilli.No one here has made it yetCape MalayCape Malay chicken curryA mild, fragrant curry of chicken and potatoes with tomato and whole spices — sweeter and gentler than Durban's.No one here has made it yet
Nordic and Baltic ryeKanelbullarSoft, cardamom-scented yeasted buns rolled around butter, sugar and cinnamon, and topped with pearl sugar.No one here has made it yet
Nordic and Baltic ryeKanelbullarSoft, cardamom-scented yeasted buns rolled around butter, sugar and cinnamon, and topped with pearl sugar.No one here has made it yetKinds
- Green
- The everyday one: floral, citrusy.
- Black
- Big and wrinkled, dried over fire — smoky and camphorous, for savoury dishes.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- South Asian grocers. Whole pods keep; ground seeds fade within weeks.
- A little history
- Scandinavia is one of the biggest buyers outside Asia and the Middle East — for cardamom buns.
- Worth knowing
- Crack the pods before they go in. For baking, grind only the seeds.