Green and black cardamoms
Posted by yabbitgirl on Feb 13, 2009 · Member since Apr 2006 · 14266 posts
OK, you all know my penchant for buying spices and THEN learning what to do with them. Some time ago I got some green cardamom, and the other day I picked up some black--which is much bigger and looks totally different!
What are good ways to use them? Do you use them for different things? I mean like is the green better for curry and the black for sweets, for example?
How do you use cardamom in coffee? Grind it and add it to the coffee grounds, or add it to the hot water, or the coffee once it's made? Which would I use, the green or the black? How much for say 2 cups?
I really dont know anything about Cardamom, so I wiki'd it! Whole page about it but does not suggest recipes. :(
I wonder what google has to say about "Cardamom, vegan recipe"
*wanders off to google*
eta:
Manjula has recipes!
RecipeZaar has one for Rice pudding.
I'm not sure about the colors. I buy it whole in the pods, which are green, and take the seeds out if grinding them for baking, etc. The little seeds are black. I boil whole pods in water for tea, and toss whole, slightly crushed pods into the carafe for coffee. The spice is used widely in Turkish and Arabic cooking and baking, also in North African cuisine. Very yummy, but can be an aquired taste. My senior year in college, I lived with an Iraqi -American girl, a Somali girl and an Irish-Hispanic girl. You can't even imagine the meals we created. Awesome!!!
I crush my cardamom and add it with the grounds in the french press.
I am so going to try this in the Bialetti!
I'm not sure about the colors. I buy it whole in the pods, which are green, and take the seeds out if grinding them for baking, etc. The little seeds are black. I boil whole pods in water for tea, and toss whole, slightly crushed pods into the carafe for coffee. The spice is used widely in Turkish and Arabic cooking and baking, also in North African cuisine. Very yummy, but can be an aquired taste. My senior year in college, I lived with an Iraqi -American girl, a Somali girl and an Irish-Hispanic girl. You can't even imagine the meals we created. Awesome!!!
I am so jealous. You must have had some real synergy going on!
OK, you all know my penchant for buying spices and THEN learning what to do with them. Some time ago I got some green cardamom, and the other day I picked up some black--which is much bigger and looks totally different!
What are good ways to use them? Do you use them for different things? I mean like is the green better for curry and the black for sweets, for example?
How do you use cardamom in coffee? Grind it and add it to the coffee grounds, or add it to the hot water, or the coffee once it's made? Which would I use, the green or the black? How much for say 2 cups?
Yabbitgirl,
Green cardamom is usual the variety that give a fine aroma when crushed.
Black cardamom is large with faint nutty flavor . It is generally used in Asian cusine in masala powders and some times as whole in spicing up a dish.
It is always used along with other spices like cinnamon , cumin seeds etc.
NJA
I believe green cardamom is used more often for sweet things and black for savory, but I could be wrong. To flavor soup or liquid-y curries I just crack a few pods and tie them in a cloth (along with cloves, cinnamon sticks, or any other whole spices). For masala and dessert dishes I crush them to a powder.
I'm not a huge fan of cardamom though so I generally use less than what the recipe calls for.
I believe green cardamom is used more often for sweet things and black for savory, but I could be wrong. To flavor soup or liquid-y curries I just crack a few pods and tie them in a cloth (along with cloves, cinnamon sticks, or any other whole spices). For masala and dessert dishes I crush them to a powder.
I'm not a huge fan of cardamom though so I generally use less than what the recipe calls for.
See, this is why I love this website. Y'all are so knowledgeable. Curry bouquet garni--I would never have thought of that.
"Bouquet garni"...yes, I was trying to think of that when I was typing but I couldn't remember what it was called. :)