Interesting Ways To Use Cardamom

Cardamom, popularly known as elaichi, is an amazing spice with numerous medicinal benefits ranging from freshening up your breath to fighting digestive issues and cancer. The fragrant black pearls, encased in their bright green pods can liven up any dish whether savory or sweet. With increasing research supporting the benefits of cardamom, here are some ways to incorporate it into your diet:

• Add it to desserts:

Nearly all Indian desserts have a mild flavor and fragrance of cardamom, due to its property to aid digestion. Whether it is phirni, malpua, rasmalai, gajar ka halwa, gulab jamun or rabdi, you can add it to anything and give your family added health benefits while enjoying your yummy desserts.

• Add it to savory dishes:

With its distinctive fragrance, cardamom is a delightful addition in most savory dishes such as chicken and mutton curry, tandoori dishes, curries, biryani or even zafrani pulao and taheri resulting in an alluring flavour along with numerous health benefits.

• Just chew on it:

Cardamom tastes amazing and makes for a very effective mouth freshener when eaten raw. Just peel the pod and pop the seeds into your mouth. The pods can easily be carried around in your purse or wallet to ensure refreshing fragrant breath anytime, anywhere instead of chewing on manufactured gums.

• Add it to fruit salads

An everyday boring fruit salad can be given an interesting, flavourful twist by adding freshly ground cardamom powder to it.

• Add it to beverages

Cardamom can be added to many traditional Indian beverages such as nimbu paani, thandai and almond milk, masala milk to enhance their taste. )

• Add it to garam masala

Cardamom can be incorporated into your regular garam masala by just blending it with the other ground spices and using the mixture as garam masala.