Cardamom Spice, Recipes To Warm Your Heart

Warming and Flavorful Cardamom Spice for Your Cooking

A warm aromatic spice

While better known today because of its addition to Chai drinks and Indian cuisine, cardamom has long been a favorite in Scandinavian kitchens and in my kitchen, too. It add a “je ne sais quoi” to many dishes ranging from the well known Chai beverages to such diverse cuisines as Scandinavian, Indian, and Israeli.

In fact, it is a favored spice in many Middle Eastern recipes, and sold in open markets there. One of the best places to purchase the spice in the USA is from an Indian grocery, although Amazon is quick and easy. And most spice displays in your grocery carry it, too. “Decorticated” ground spice seems more flavorful, although you can also buy the pods and grind them yourself.

The Cardamom Plant – True Cardamom

Botanical name: Elettaria cardamomum

Family: Zingiberaceae, the ginger family

Cardamom is native to the monsoon forests of India and Sri Lanka, but is cultivated throughout tropical Asia. The plant may be grown as an outdoor perennial in Zones 10 and 11which include southern Florida, Puerto Rico and Hawaii, in most parts of the USA it can only be grown indoors. If you chose to grow in a container, keep it moist, but not soggy. Place on a a sunny windowsill (facing west or south) and give high humidity, (by way of a bed of rocks or a mister spray).

Culinary Cardamom can be either the true or green Cardamom, which is this plant, or its close relative the black Cardamom. Green, this species, has the more desirable, delicate flavor.

Nutritionally

Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

More about the Health Benefits – Cardamom Spice

1. Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
2. The pods are rich in many vital vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C
3. Improves digestion and stimulates the metabolism

Scandinavian Cuisine – Cardamom is no secret there…

Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, and Danes all use cardamom in their cuisine. These cooking traditions are world famous for their baking and coffee drinking is part of their culture. It is common to invite people over for coffee and cakes, an intrinsic part of the hospitable culture. Spicing up the cookies or coffee with cardamom can be one of the delightful elements of this repast. (Try a dash of cardamom in your coffee for a real taste treat!)

The Rolls No One Can Resist

Warm from the oven cardamon rolls

I bake it as a traditional Christmas ritual, and this is a wonderful recipe for anytime you wish to bake it, although for us it is part of our Christmas Eve celebration. My family loves the warm spicy taste of the cardamom mixed with fresh yeasty sweet bread and sprinkled with slivered almonds. I prefer not to glaze the rolls, but sprinkle with an almond/sugar mixture.

INCREDIBLE in Baked Goods!

Ground cardamom flavors yeast breads with a sweet, yet refreshing, nuance. Cardamom bread, a traditional Swedish baked good, is often flavored with a combination of cardamom and almonds.

For me, Christmas baking just isn’t the same without my favorite Cardamom yeast roll recipe and the Cardamom spiced cookies. I want to share these delightful and fragrant recipes spiced with this aromatic with you.

If you are interested in using my recipe I have it online.

Cardamom Seeds (Decorticated) Whole

Arabic Flavor

Scandinavians aren’t the only culture to have an affinity for Cardamom- let the Arabic culture show their use of this aromatic spice.

American cooks often are not familiar with this culinary treat. Trying Arabic, Scandinavian, and Indian dishes will familiarize this addition which flavors breads, stews, and desserts with equal flair.

To get you started, an easy and well-loved dish is the following custard variation.

Middle Eastern Dream Custard

photo by phdstudent on Flickr

Serving Size
Serves:4-6

Cardamom and Rosewater Lend Luxury Scent and Flavor

• 4 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons custard powder (commercial)
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
• Ground pistachios (optional)

Instructions

1. Put milk, sugar and cardamom into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat.
2. Mix the custard powder with a little water to make a smooth thin paste. Gradually stir it into the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Continue stirring until the custard is smooth. Remove from heat and add rose water. Return to the stove and place over a very low heat a few minutes. Pour into custard dishes, and garnish with pistachios. Chill.
3. ~~~~~~~~wish to make it from scratch?~~~~~~~~~~
4. Try this variation:
5. * 3 1/2 cups whole milk
6. * 1 tablespoon green or white cardamom pods, slightly crushed
7. * 1/3 cup arrowroot
8. * 1/2 cup sugar
9. * 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios or walnuts
10. Bring milk, cardamom pods, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a 2-qt heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
11. Whisk together arrowroot and sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in hot milk mixture. Return to saucepan and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Chill pudding, its surface covered with wax paper, until very cold, at least 4 hours. Serve sprinkled with nuts.

History notes:

“It’s a well-travelled spice, too, believed to have been brought from India to Greece by one of Alexander the Great’s soldiers in the fourth century BC, where it was used in both medicinal as well as culinary concoctions. In the ninth century, the Vikings took it from Constantinople to Scandinavia, where it’s still a fragrant favourite in baking and even in some versions of pickled herring.” {1)

botanical stamp of cardamom plant

I recommend this Cardamom – Economically priced

If you have looked in your local grocery store you know this food flavoring comes at a premium cost. An organic source that is far more economical is this one, online.

Ground for convenience, use it up within a year. Buy these smaller amounts more often for freshness.

Entrée Tandoori Chicken

photo by my_amii

Indian cooking uses cardamom in many of its spice mixtures- and no wonder since this is where the spice originates.

Cook Time

Prep Time: 5 hours (marinate)

Total Time: 1 1/2 hour

Serves:  6

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3 lbs.) quartered
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/2 cups yogurt
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 8 garlic cloves- crushed through a press
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper- to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red food coloring(optional)
• Scallions and lime wedges

Instructions

1. Remove skin from chicken; make two deep gashes in each piece of meat. Rub chicken all over with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Place in a 12x8x2-inch baking dish.
2. In a medium-size bowl, combine yogurt with ginger, garlic, cardamom, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, remaining lime juice and salt, and food coloring, if desired. Pour over chicken and turn to coat. Cover loosely and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 4 hours or overnight to develop flavors.
3. When ready to cook, light charcoal grill or preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grill over medium-hot coals or bake 40 to 50 minutes, turning and basting frequently with yogurt marinade. Garnish with scallions and lime wedges

Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

Delicious Christmas cookies which are just a little different because of the pistachio nuts. Easy to print recipe.

Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

Buttery Rounds topped with pistachio nuts

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Cookies

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter chilled, (2 sticks)1 cup
• ½ cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds crushed using a mortar and pestle
• ¼ cup decorative sugar
• ¼ cup pistachio nuts chopped

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 375°. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for one minute. Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks and beat an additional minute.
• Sift together the flour and salt. Spoon the flour mixture into the butter mixture and add the cardamom. Beat on low speed, then increase to medium and mix until the batter is combined.
• Spoon the dough into a cookie press and press out onto ungreased baking sheets. Or roll the dough into a log, wrap in parchment paper and chill for two hours before slicing into rounds and arranging evenly onto the cookie sheets. In a small bowl, combine the sparkling sugar and the pistachio nuts, then sprinkle some on each cookie.
• Bake just until the edges of the cookies start to turn a pale golden color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then remove carefully to a wire rack. The cookies will firm up as they cool.

Notes

When cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container. They may be kept frozen up to two months.

Keyword cardamom, christmas cookies, nut cookies

Cardamom Extract

More Ways to Start Using this Flavor to Set your Cooking Apart

“Heavy Table” recommends starting your experience of baking with the flavor of cardamom with addition of an extract. Use it with vanilla or even instead of it.

Use as the flavoring in cakes, cookies and ice cream, pancake or waffle batter. It might become your favorite spice, too.

The flavor of cardamom captured in an extract is the easiest way to infuse its flavor into your cooking.

For custards or entree dishes you may want this form. I like the flecks of the ground spice for my baked goods.

Cardamom Cookery – More Recipes

• Winter Squash with Spiced Butter: Recipe: bonappetit.com
  Traditional thanksgiving flavors get a Persian accent in this autumn side.
• Confessions of a Cardamom Addict: Masala Chai
  Try Chai and different recipes -read stories of a “habitual eater”.

Cardamom Rolls

Your Opinion on this Spice

Used to flavor rice pudding, cakes, chutney and creme brulée, it is included in Indian spice mixtures like Garam Masala. Scandinavians flavor glogg, yule cake or  aebleskivers (apple pancake puffs) with generous sprinklings of Cardamom, too.

What do you use Cardamom for?

• Everything possible
• I’ve never tried it that I know of…
• Only baked goods
• Breads and coffee
• Cookies
• Indian dishes
• I’ve tried it in Chai, I would like to try it added to other recipes, as well
• I don’t like it

• Braided Cardamom Bread (Pulla) Recipe – Saveur.com
  This cardamom-spiced bread is eaten with coffee or tea in Finland.
• Not So Humble Pie: Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
  Shortbread cookie with amounts adapted to European cooks
• Would you like to know more about Nordic Coffee Culture?

YOUR FAVORITE SPICE IS…  CARDAMOM OR ANOTHER?