Cardamom Pods Green Organic

$9.00

SINGLE INGREDIENT | ORGANIC | NON-GMO | WHOLE

The spice people chew after a heavy meal, and have for centuries: saunf's fragrant cousin, the little green pod that closes the meal in Indian households. Whole pods, plump and intensely aromatic, the kind you crack open for chai, biryani, and rice. Organic, and sourced for aroma first.

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What We tell customers about Cardamom Pods

When people come in asking for something to settle the stomach, or ask us about "cardamom for digestion" we tell them that, cardamom pods are what you're looking for. In Ayurveda it's been valued for thousands of years to kindle digestive fire and calm an unsettled stomach after a heavy meal. It's warming but not heating, which makes it one of the more balancing spices you can cook with, and across India people still chew the seeds after eating as a natural digestive aid and breath freshener.*

On the cooking side, we tell everyone to use cardamom pods where possible because they are almost always fresher than ground. Like all ground spices, pre-ground cardamom loses its aroma faster than whole pods.

Use whole cracked pods for anything cooked in liquid (chai, rice, curries). For baking, we tell people to crack them open and grind the seeds fresh.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your doctor if you are on medication, have a health condition, or are pregnant, nursing, or having surgery.

  • What to use it on

    Crack two or three pods with the flat side of a knife and add to your chai, golden milk, or any spiced tea.

    Add whole cracked pods to the water when you cook rice, especially in biryani or pilaf.

    Use alongside cumin and coriander in lamb, chicken, or lentil dishes.

    Grind the seeds from three or four pods and stir into oatmeal or overnight oats.

    Add ground cardamom to banana bread or muffins.

    Stir into coffee grounds before brewing for a cardamom coffee in the Middle Eastern style.

  • How the pros use it

    Crack the pod with the flat side of a knife before you add it to anything. Do not drop it in whole. The flavor lives in the seeds inside, not in the outer shell, and they need to be exposed to release properly. This one step is the difference between a dish that actually tastes of cardamom and one where you wonder where it went.

  • Who should use extra caution

    For most people cardamom is one of the gentlest everyday spices, safe to cook with daily. Two cautions worth knowing: if you have gallstones, cardamom in large or concentrated amounts (supplements, not a pod in your chai) can trigger gallbladder spasms, so check with your doctor first.

Questions from our Laguna Beach Store customers about Cardamom Pods

It's the reason a lot of people reach for it. Cardamom has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years to kindle digestive fire and settle an unsettled stomach after a heavy meal, and across India chewing a few seeds after eating is an everyday digestive aid and breath freshener. It's warming but not heating, one of the more balancing spices you can cook with daily.

Yes. It's one of the gentlest everyday spices in Ayurvedic cooking. A pod or two in your morning chai, a pinch ground into oatmeal, these small daily habits add real flavor without any concern about overuse.

Remove the outer pods before serving. They're fibrous and hard to eat. The seeds inside are edible and intensely flavored. In Ayurvedic tradition, chewing a few seeds after a meal is the natural breath freshener and digestive aid people across India use every day.

Put Cardamom Pods To Work

Exotic Cardamom Simple Syrup

Makes about 1.5 cups

A fragrant cardamom-infused simple syrup for sweetening coffee, tea, cocktails, and desserts.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp whole cardamom pods
  • 1 1/2 cups filtered water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan, heat over medium, and stir gently to distribute.
  2. While the sugar is dissolving, lightly crush the 2 tbsp of whole cardamom pods.
  3. Add the cardamom pods to the pan of simple syrup and let it simmer over medium heat for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how intense you want the flavor.
  4. Turn off the heat and let the cardamom pods keep infusing for up to one hour.
  5. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the cardamom seeds and pods.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for longer. Enjoy!

Download the printable recipe card (PDF)