Cardamom Health benefits and uses

Cardamom is an aromatic spice that has been used in cooking and natural therapies for centuries. It is even found in some chewing gum as a breath freshener!

Originally grown in the tropical areas of southern India, it was exported to Europe in the 17th century and is now found worldwide.

It is the third most expensive spice behind saffron and vanilla beans. Luckily, its’ rich, sweet-spicy flavour and medicinal properties means that small quantities can achieve impressive results.

There are two types of cardamom - green (Elettaria Zingiberaceae) and black (Amomum Zingiberaceae). Both are used in natural therapies and cooking.

Green seed pods are sweeter tasting than black and are used in savoury and sweet dishes.

Black seeds are less common and mainly used in savoury dishes including in the garam masala spice mix.

[Image1 Ground cardamom and seeds pods]

Cardamom is related to the ginger family and has some similar characteristics for disease prevention and health promotion.

It is used in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine and has wide ranging health benefits, including:

How to use cardamom?

[Image2 Grind pods or use pre-ground cardamom]

Recipe ideas
The following savoury and sweet recipes use cardamom -

Homemade garam masala
Make your own garam masala at home and make mouth watering curries.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2/3 cup

Ingredients

Method:


[Image8 Massaman curry paste and beef massaman and turmeric potato pies use cardamom]


[Image10 These Almond Date Rolls and Middle Eastern Cookies taste great with cardamom]

The flavour and health benefits of cardamom make this a good spice to have in your repertoire. Enjoy!

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#healthy_recipes

For more of my recipes visit [Linkhttp://recipeyum.com.au/cookbook/108127/ Naomi's recipes]

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