As
renown Indian cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey once said, cardamom is to Indians
what vanilla is to the West. But there's one exception: cardamom is also used
in savory dishes.
Let's
discover the different ways to use cardamom to spice up your life.
A little background
on cardamom
Cardamom
comes in two varieties: green and brown. You'll also find white cardamom pods
which have been bleached. Brown cardamom is much larger in size and has a
smokier taste. We recommend using green cardamom, which possesses a more
delicate flavor and aroma than the brown variety.
Veganbaking/Flickr
5 exciting ways to
use cardamom
Here
are five ways you can use cardamom and take advantage of its versatility:
1. Spice up ice cream
Substitute
cardamom for vanilla the next time you make ice cream base. Make sure you split
the cardamom pod and to allow the seeds to infuse the milk. Let cool and
strain. Process ice cream as usual.
2. Make cardamom
sugar
Split
a cardamom pod and release the tiny seeds. Put the seeds in a mortar and pestle
along with a teaspoon of sugar. Grind until it becomes a a fluffy powdery mix.
Use cardamom sugar to flavor drinks and baked goods.
3. Cardamom whipped
cream
Use
a spoonful of cardamom sugar to add to your whipped cream. Whip as usual and
use it to top everything from hot cocoa to cupcakes. It would be delicious on
top of this cardamom vanilla pound cake from Pretty Frugal Living:
4. Kick up your
chicken
Cardamom
works wonders in savory dishes. Next time you make a tomato-based sauce for
chicken, throw a split cardamom seed and a stick of cinnamon into the mix.
You'll end up with an intriguing dish that is not overly sweet at all.
5. Freshen your
breath
In
Ancient Rome, cardamom was prized as a breath freshener. Romans, along with
ancient Egyptians and Greeks, used cardamom as a tooth cleaner after meals. You
can do the same by skipping gum and chewing on a cardamom pod instead.
By Rose Y.
Colón-Singh/ FDL