"bruised" cardamom pods?

tacita

alas, such a small question about which to begin a thread...

i've been doing more indian cooking of late, with wonderful results (if i do say so myself). but i have a question about the ubiquitous "bruised" cardamom pod.

a pod (whether cardamom or otherwise) is generally "bruised" much the same way a garlic clove is, with the flat side of a knife. however, when i do this with cardamom seeds, they come completely open, no matter how gentle i try to be.

the result is that the seeds permeate the dish, making for an unpleasant crunch and an unduly harsh accompanying pungency. also, the cardamom just completely overwhelms the entire dish. (and i like cardamom!)

am i doing the "bruising" incorrectly? are the seeds supposed to come out? if so, i'll either use less or just use them whole, no bruising, but would like to know nevertheless what the actual technique is supposed to be.

i would especially appreciate hearing from indian cooks who have mastered the skill or those who watched their mothers, grandmothers and aunties do it.

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icetea

umm ok...cardamom now? Can I delete this...?

I don't think there's any need to "bruise" the cardamom pods, btw..and use less. Are you talking about sweets or regular dishes? Don't use more than 2-3, and you can take them out if the crunch bothers you. Or simply use powder.

tacita

my brain was thinking cardamom, but my fingers were thinking fenugreek! i changed my original post. i mean, of course, cardamom pods!

tacita

yes...

tacita

thanks, icetea!

the recipe called for 6 "brusied" pods--too much! i'll use less and leave them whole, but am curious about this "bruising" business. i do remove the pods, but those errant seeds are another matter!

icetea

It's ok, I changed my post too in between. (I was very confused by the fenugreek pods thing..lol)

icetea

I know what you mean, those little black seeds tend to come out. I would use freshly ground powder instead, that should solve the problem. Whole cardamoms don't usually give much flavour, but then if it's not about sweets then you're not supposed to have much cardamom flavour anyway. What recipe was it? Six sounds too much even for chicken...unless you're cooking for a battalion.

tacita

as an aside--wow, things are getting really bad in the procrastination department if i'm posting queries about seeds to avoid work!

cardamom adds such a distinct flavor, though, so i don't want to eliminate it. this book (written by an indian woman) also calls for cardamom powder in some recipes, so i'm sure she meant to distinguish in this one. but the recipe (chick peas and tomatoes, with onion, green chilis, ginger, cloves, cinnamom stick, cumin, fresh cilantro, turmeric...) called for too much, whole or not. excellent dish in any event, though.

SitaParityaga

Were you using the black or the green pods?

Although I am far from having any auntyji cooking status, I would use the green ones and just bang them up a bit without banging them open, then throw them in whole.

I would also especially like to hear from the real cooks out there!

tacita

green. problem is, it's hard to open them without the seeds coming out in the pot!

(but perhaps i've already spent too much time on this issue--i'll manage!)

PeakXV

Don't know about for "cooking" but for "drinking" nice spicy cardamom chai/coffee, I take the rolling pin and crush the pod/seeds into oblivion and then strain it out the with the leaves/beans .... gives the best flavour per minimum spice consumption.

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icetea

Well I always grind all these spices and the coconut before frying them for chicken or chana masala, so I suggest you do that too. How else will you get a good gravy..

crvlvr

just crack the pods open with your finger nail. the pod will remain closed with a small opening.

jenk

I agree that "bruising" the pods doesnt add much and is unneccessary - Ive never done that - maybe with one of the big black camphor scented cardamons? No, dont bother.

For petes sake dont substitute ground - the whole pods are generally what you want if the cardamon is cooked in the dish - its flavor will come through from the initial whole spice frying process (flavoring the oil) or wll gradually permeate the dish in long cooking. Id only use ground cardamon (and only freshly ground, not the pre-ground dry stuff) in sprinkles at the end of the dish or in a ground garam masala add-in. what a wonderful spice.

crvlvr

Most spices do not release their aroma unless heated. Typically they should be heated to above the boiling point of water for them to release their flavors. Which is why, ion Indian cooking, it is added to the oil initially before any water (or ingredients containing water) are added