Cardamom

About this product

Cardamom (ஏலக்காய்) – the Queen of Spices, whose sweet, floral aroma defines Indian tea, sweets and biryani alike. These are whole green cardamom pods, which is the form worth buying. The volatile oils that carry the aroma begin to fade the moment a pod is opened, so pods keep their fragrance for months while ready-ground powder loses it in weeks. Crush a pod between your fingers and the difference is obvious. Its range is unusually wide. Whole pods go into biryani, pulao, garam masala and kashayam. Crushed seeds flavour payasam, kheer, halwa, ladoo and badam milk. A single pod transforms a cup of tea or filter coffee. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu it also finishes meat and vegetable curries, and it is chewed plain after a meal as a mouth freshener. Cardamom has a long history in Ayurvedic practice for digestion, and is traditionally taken after heavy meals for that reason. Store whole pods in an airtight container away from light and heat, and grind only what a recipe needs. Pods that have gone pale or lost their scent have lost most of their oils and are worth replacing. Order online or over WhatsApp, with cash on delivery available.