The Queen of the Spices

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new”- Einstein

WORDS BY MEGAN EVANS

In making a simple King Prawn Korma, I came across an unusual spice that I had not seen, used or even heard about before. This happened completely by accident. I had sent out my other half to buy some ingredients, and instead of bringing back ground cardamom as I had asked, he plonked down a jar of what looked like shards of bark in front of me. It was a moment when the old saying ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’ felt particularly relevant.  

It turned out that these unusual looking pods were not a disastrous purchase. They were only the black cousins of the green cardamom pod, dried out and slightly matured for a distinctly different flavour. “The word cardamom was on the jar”; I could kind of see his logic.

On opening the jar, the pods smelt musty and dried out, and I was not entirely sure whether they would work in such a dish. On opening and grounding the seeds inside, the pungent aroma that came from them was surprisingly pleasant. They possessed a eucalyptus scent similar to their green cousins; uplifting in nature yet much more bold and smoky with strong hints of camphor.

Black cardamom is matured and dried for its distinctive smoky flavour. Its matured scent and flavouring makes it a warming spice, and can be likened to pepper and chilli. In a mild dish such as korma, only a small amount was needed for a subtle hint of flavour; too much could have been slightly overpowering.

On checking the suitability of the black cardamom pod for a recipe that had clearly specified green cardamom, I found that the pods can in fact be used to add distinct flavours to even rustic meaty dishes like pot roasts and stew. It seemed that the spice was versatile; great in blends with other spices to temper the pungent flavour and brilliant in elevating potentially bland dishes. In this sense, it does not always have to be used in just Indian or oriental cooking; its flavoursome tones work well in a variety of recipes. Black cardamom is also a key ingredient in garam masala, which as a spice blend works well to add tasty, enlivening flavours to many different dishes, including a mild curry such as korma.

I was impressed by how successful the black cardamom was as a spice, even as a substitute for its green friend. Despite coming across it by mistake and initially fretting about its distinctive appearance and unique aroma, I felt it worked well. It certainly didn’t take anything away from the flavour, nor did it come across as too strong or too bold. I would definitely consider adding the spice to a hearty casserole and to many other dishes for a warming boost of flavour. A lasting impression was certainly left. I think the cardamom family is completely deserving of its title, ‘Queen of the Spices’.