Cardamom Seeds Vs. Pods: How Do They Compare?
There are two types of cardamom seeds: pods and seeds. The pods are used for making tea, whereas the seeds are used to flavor food.
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Pods are usually sold in small bags, whereas seeds are sold in an airtight container. Seeds are often ground into powder form, whereas pods are not.
Both seeds and pods are available at grocery stores, health food stores, and online retailers. If you’re looking for a spice blend that adds zing to ethnic dishes, consider buying cardamom seeds instead of pods.
Because cardamom seeds have a more robust, sweeter taste than pods, when grinding cardamom seeds, use a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Cardamom seeds should be ground until they become a fine powder.
But, when grinding pods, use a blender or food processor. Pods should be ground until they break apart into pieces.
Cardamom seeds are sold in 1-gram packages, whereas pods are sold in 2 grams packages. Because cardamom seeds are stronger-tasting, they may take longer to cook. But, because they are smaller, they tend to infuse spices faster.
Do Cardamom Seeds And Cardamom Pods Have The Same Flavor?
White cardamom seeds and pods are two different things. They’re not interchangeable.
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The flavoring of cardamom seeds or pods and the spice are very similar. Cardamom seeds are the seeds of the cardamom plant, a perennial herb best known for its distinctive taste.
The pods, green, mature, and turn brown, are harvested from the plant. Cardamom seeds can be smoked or ground into powder and used as a seasoning or flavoring agent. Cardamom pods can be consumed fresh or dried in powder form.
When buying the aroma of cardamom pods, be sure to buy them whole rather than ground. Ground cardamom is usually mixed with other spices, making it hard to taste the authentic flavor of the cardamom.
If you’re looking for a spice blend, try blending cardamom seeds with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Can You Substitute Cardamom Seeds for Pods?
Cardamom seeds are used to flavor many Indian dishes, including curries, soups, and rice dishes. They’re often added to chai tea, a popular beverage made from black tea boiled with milk and spices.
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But the entire cardamom pod is quite like a cardamom spice, except for one crucial difference. Cardamom pods contain oil, whereas cardamom seeds do not. When substituting cardamom seeds for cardamom pods, you’d need to use more than the recommended amount of seeds.
1. To substitute cardamom seeds for pods, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water to 2 tablespoons of cardamom seeds and let them sit overnight.
2. The next day, strain out the seeds and discard the liquid.
3. Add this mixture to the recipe you planned to use cardamom pods.
If you don’t have access to cardamom seeds or pods, you can still substitute them.
1. Add one tablespoon of ground cardamom to the exact amounts of water and let them sit overnight.
2. Then strain out the seeds and discard the liquid.
3. Use this mixture instead of the cardamom pods or seeds in your recipes.
How to Use Cardamom Seeds?
The sweetness of cardamom seeds is used in many dishes in India, especially curries. They’re a spice that’s often overlooked because it’s hard to find outside of Indian grocery stores.
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But cardamom seeds are delicious when roasted and ground into a powder.
To use them:
- Roast the seeds over medium heat until fragrant, calm, and grind them into a fine powder.
- Then add them to any dish where they would be added, including rice, lentils, vegetables, soups, meat, fish, and desserts.
How to Use Cardamom Pods?
Green cardamom pods are spice pods in two varieties: green cardamom and black cardamom.
Both types contain essential oils that give them the freshest flavor. They’re used in many Indian meat dishes, including curries, rice dishes, and desserts.
- To use a variety of cardamom pods, remove a dozen seeds from the pods and grind them into powder.
- The resulting powder can be added to any dish where cardamom would be used.
If you’re looking for a quick way to add some exotic flavors to your food, try adding ground cardamom to your variety of meals.
Cooking Ideas with Cardamom
Cardamom is a spice used in Indian cuisine. It adds a unique flavor and aroma to food.
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Here are some ideas for heavenly dishes that use cardamom:
- Add cardamom to chicken curry
- Use cardamom in rice pilaf
- Make cardamom tea
- Spice up plain yogurt
- Mix cardamom with honey
- Cook with cardamom pods
- Sprinkle cardamom over cake batter
- Add cardamoms to bread and muffins
- Add cardamons to meat stews
- Bake with cardamom
Cardamom Seeds vs. Pods: Which One Is Better?=
There are two types of cardamom seeds: whole and ground. Whole cardamom seeds are used when making expensive spice blends, while ground cardamom pods are added to savory dishes.
Both types of cardamom are delicious, but which one is better?
Whole cardamom seeds are sweeter than ground cardamom pods. But, ground cardamom pods have a more robust flavor. They’re also easier to use in recipes because they’re already chopped up.
If you prefer the taste of whole cardamom aromatic seeds over ground cardamom pods, you should try them out. But if you’re looking for the most robust flavor, go with the ground version.
The Bottom Line
Cardamom pods are a beautiful part of the plant and a great way to get a dose of cardamom flavor. There’s a plant that can grow them, but seeds aren’t an option.
So if you can get your hands on some pods, use them!
Hey'all I'm Amy, a born foodie and diagnosed with celiac disease 7 years ago. I refused to cave into tasteless, boring gulten free food and create my own!
On my blog you'll find info & cool facts along with recipes, all on gluten free foods!