Cardamom in Sweet and Savory Cooking

Cardamom crosses the cookbook’s sweet and savory sections with unusual ease. Whole pods appear in rice, pilafs, teas, desserts, and drinks, while ground cardamom seasons chilled sweets and baked goods.

Whole pods are often slit so the aromatic seeds can infuse the surrounding liquid or fat. Ground cardamom is used when the spice needs to disappear into a batter, cream, yogurt mixture, or other smooth base.

The same spice therefore behaves differently by form: whole for infusion and gradual release, ground for immediate integration.

Ingredients

• Whole cardamom pods
• Ground cardamom
• Rice, milk, tea, or other liquid bases
• Dessert mixtures or doughs where ground spice is used
• A knife for slitting pods

Method

Use slit whole pods when the dish will simmer or steep long enough to extract their aroma, and remove them before serving when appropriate. Use ground cardamom in mixtures where a uniform flavor is needed. Keep quantities restrained because the aroma is concentrated.