I bought some cardamom powder yesterday, after having problems grinding the whole cardamom pod. I found that the husk was just too hard to grind. Are there any tricks for this?

Anyway, on the jar that I bought it just says cardamom powder (and elaichi powder) and I was wondering if this is the same as "green cardamom powder" which is so often called for in Indian recipes.

Also, I was just wondering if this would be the same cardamom powder that my aunty in Norway adds when she makes bread (it's delicious). Or are there different types of cardamom in different parts of the world?

My tip, hit the cardamon pods in pestel and motar to break the shell, peel open with fingers and then grind only the little dark seeds inside.

Second tip buy 'a/another' coffee grinder and use that to do them whole.

Steve

I like the coffee grinder idea as I wanted to include the green husks as well. I don't have one of these at all yet, so will look out for one now.

Thanks,

Amanda

Green cardamom = Choti illaichi/ilaichi/elaichi, choti meaning ?small?. Also known as hari illaichi, ?hari? meaning green. It is pronounced as I-la-i-chi or I-la-yi-chi in Hindi

Brown, large cardamom = Badi illiachi, 'badi' meaning large. Also known as kali illaichi, kali meaning black.

So having just elaichi written on the label doesn't really help.

Generally, large or brown cardamoms are used in cooking, they have a stronger and slightly different flavour. They are in Garam masala.

Small, green cardamoms are chewed as after dinner mouth freshener and digestive aid, added to all sorts of desserts and to many other savoury dishes where you might like a gentler flavour, such as some Biryanies. They can be added to cakes, breads-specially sweet breads, muffins, pies, milk puddings (rice/semolina/vermicelli), custards etc., etc. They have a sweeter flavour, similar (not same) to cinnamon.

I grind both types in a coffee grinder, which I use only as a spice grinder. Both are easy (not difficult) to grind. After grinding, just sieve the whole lot through a tea strainer or a larger sieve, if you have one. This will remove any large, lingering, fibrous bits. Some people roast them before grinding. I feel that this releases the flavours that are then lost during storing.

Hope this is of help.

Mamta

I find the black cardamons have a sort of smokey flavour, giving you a starting point for a BBQ sauce type flavour

Steve

Thanks for all that information, it's all much clearer now.

I think I've got the sweeter kind of cardamom in the jar as it smells just like the green cardamom pods that I've also got.