Popularly known as “Elaichi” in Hindi, “Aelakka” in Malayalam, “Elakkai” in Tamil, “Yelakulu” in Telugu, “Yalakki” in Kannada, “Ilaychi” in Gujarati, “Hrdaya roga” in Nepali and “Huba alhal” in Arabic – Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants belonging to the family Zingiberaceae.

Called the Queen of Spices, cardamom is the world’s third most expensive spice – surpassed only by saffron and vanilla. It is one of the most common wholes spices which is found in every Indian household especially in my favorite adrak elaichi chai. 

Green cardamom is a spice with an intense, slightly sweet flavor and used in both sweet and savory recipes. The seeds are recognized by their small pods. They are spindle-shaped with an outer shell and inner seeds. The outer shell is thin and papery and the seeds are small and black.

It is very easy to make the green cardamom powder at home. Each green cardamom pod contains a row of small black seeds that are removed and ground to powder. You don’t need to discard the skin (pods) and even though they cannot be used as a spice because they are extremely fibrous, but you can use them while making powder.

If you talk about health benefits. Cardamom is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and potassium. Cardamom is in the same family as ginger and turmeric, which are all great at balancing digestion, combating nausea, and fighting motion sickness. Some people even chew on the pods like gum because of their minty flavor.

Beautiful hot stone crayons art recently done by me

How to make Green Cardamom Powder ?

Heat the pan nicely and add the cardamom, no need to roast for a long time. Toast 1/2 cup of cardamom pods in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 or 4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, if you really want to intensify the flavor.

Roasting

Cool down completely then transfer to mixer jar and grind to a fine powder.

Cool down in a plate then store in a clean dry glass container.

You can make it in bulk. A small amount of it can be stored in a bottle for daily use and the rest can be kept in a refrigerator. It is best used within three months.

Decorated with hot stone crayons art recently done by me