Spice Sense – Cardamom

Green Cardamom graces both sweet and savory food with its seductive exotic charm. It plays on your senses to effortlessly transport you to distant lands. The enchanting aroma delightfully infuses the air. Its fragrance was once so treasured that it was only burnt at an altar of the gods. The Greeks and Romans were lured by the scent, which they used in perfume and later as a breath freshener. Once introduced into food it became an indispensable spice by the sixth century. In India cardamom is commonly used as an aid for digestion.

Cardamom is relatively expensive due to the harvesting process. Over several months the pods are individually picked just before they are about to mature to ensure they don’t split or lose their color. As with vanilla pods it is the drying process which develops the spices aroma.
It is the oil-laden seeds of the cardamom pods which define the flavor. Warm like camphor and refreshing like eucalyptus it is used in the foods of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and even Scandinavia (which imports cardamom in vast quantities).

Cardamom Quality

Look for cardamom pods with more of a green (lime-like) color than pods that are a green brown, which is often a sign of age. The pods should have a pungent aroma. If they are split open many of the volatile oils will have been lost. The seeds, once removed, will lose their flavor more rapidly. It is recommended that you buy the best quality pods and remove the seeds as you need to use them. The seeds are easily crushed using a mortar and pestle so avoid buying ground cardamom, which may have had the husk of the pod ground in with it, unless you can verify the quality.
It needs to be noted that brown cardamom has a completely different profile to green cardamom and the two are NOT interchangeable. Brown cardamom is not inferior to green as many might assume. It should be used and appreciated for its own attributes within the confines of savory foods.

Cooking with Cardamom

It is my experience that cardamom can be used in place of vanilla beans, not as a substitute but to create a dish with a completely different flavor. Rice pudding, ice cream, coffee and tea all take on a wonderful taste when cardamom is used. As you use it to season and flavor your dishes, you’ll add delicious gourmet appeal to many foods including fruits, rice, chicken and lamb.
If you split the pod by gently pressing it with the back of a spoon to bruise it, the spice can be easily added and the pod readily removed just before serving a dish. This technique works well for when you want a delicate hint of flavor. Adding the seeds whole or crushed results in a more pungent presence in a dish.

Recipes

Cardamom is most easily used to flavor drinks. Tea and coffee are a great way to introduce yourself to this spice.

Iced Cardamom Coffee (serves 2)

2 cups strong brewed coffee
½ cup condensed milk (regular or fat free)
10 cardamom pods, split open

Add the cardamom pods to the coffee grinds. Brew the coffee. Let the coffee cool a little. In a large bowl, or jug (big enough for mixing) pour in the condensed milk. Add the coffee. Stir well and taste. Take a tall glass filled with ice. Pour the cooled coffee over the ice. Serve once ice cold.
This recipe is easily adjusted to suit your taste by using stronger coffee or adding more condensed milk.

Cardamom French Toast (8-10 Slices)

10 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed OR pods bruised and split (See Note)
Pinch of salt
8 TBSP butter (1 Stick), melted (or vegetable oil)
1 loaf of day old challah, brioche or italian bread, sliced 3/4″ thick
Note: The bread should be dry enough to absorb the egg mixture. To speed up the drying process just lay the slices out on a baking sheet and place in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 200 F for keeping French toast warm as you cook it.
Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cardamom and salt in a large bowl.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.
Soak the slices of bread one at a time in the egg mixture until saturated.
Drizzle some butter on the griddle, turn the heat to medium, place the soaked bread on the griddle, flip over once the bottom is brown and cook the other side until brown.
Place on an oven proof platter and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
Shake powdered sugar over the French toast just before serving.

Note: The crushed seeds will result in a stronger cardamom flavor than if the pods are just bruised and split.