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Cardamom is an alluring spice with a seductive aroma. Its bright green pods conceal black pearls of flavor which liven up a wide array of dishes.
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.
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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.
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.
