Distinct, complex and highly aromatic, cardamom is a fantastic way to add fragrance, warmth and depth to your cooking. Its scent alone is enough to make your kitchen smell amazing, and it adds a touch of comfort as well as the exotic to your cooking.
I’ve been making this cardamom chicken curry for many years, having discovered it originally in a book called ‘A Little Taste Of India’ by Priya Wickramasinghe and Carol Selva Rajah. I’ve adapted it over the years, replacing coconut milk with natural yoghurt (husband Mark has gone off coconut milk!) and adding extra vegetables and a few more spices. A great mid-week meal, it’s also good enough to serve at a dinner with friends and makes a lovely post-exercise protein-rich recovery meal.
If you haven’t cooked with cardamom seeds before, I can assure you it’s worth the faff of removing the seeds from the pods.
I’d describe this flavour of cardamom as a unique mix of citrus, sweet, floral, and slightly spicy!
The cardamom used in this recipe is the more common green cardamom, as in the image below. You can get it in most supermarkets in the UK.
As this recipe uses the seeds inside the pods, you’ll need to remove them and then crush them in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. The best way to do this is to gently bash the pods in a pestle and mortar to split them open, then remove the pods with your fingers or a small spoon. You can then discard the outer shell of the pod.
As an aside, you can also get black cardamom which is a larger, darker pod, smoky in flavour and extremely delicious in some curries. I’ll post some recipes using is later this year!
Health benefits of cardamom
As with many Indian spices, cardamom comes with some great health benefits! It has been used in traditional medicine for its digestive properties as it can help reduce bloating and indigestion. It can also potentially lower blood pressure and boost oral health.
Cardamom also has anti-oxidant properties with some studies suggesting that it may also help manage diabetes and reduce inflammation.
Examples of ways to use cardamom
- Curries and stews: Especially in Indian or Middle Eastern cuisine, cardamom adds warmth and depth to meat and vegetable curries.
- Rice: Cardamom-infused rice, like biryani or pilaf, is a common side dish.
- Beverages: Chai tea (Indian spiced tea), coffee, and hot chocolate benefit from cardamom’s complex flavor.
- Desserts: Cakes, pastries, cookies, and even ice cream can be flavored with cardamom.
- Smoothies: Add a pinch to smoothies for a unique and aromatic twist.
How much cardamom should I use?
It’s a simple rule! Less is more. Don’t overdo it as too much can be overpowering…
Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Kate’s Deliciously Easy One Pot Cardamom Chicken Curry
Warming, Comforting and Easy Curry flavoured with fragrant and aromatic cardamom seeds.
Ingredients
Method
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Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and crush them in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Using a blender, add 200g of the yoghurt, the garlic, ginger, lemon rind, cardamom, cumin, chilli seeds, salt and black pepper and blend until you have a smooth paste.
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Spoon the paste into a medium-sized bowl and toss with the chicken so that the chicken is completely covered with the mixture. Cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours, or if you can, overnight.
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Remove the chicken from the fridge. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan and add the chicken. Fry the chicken over a medium to high heat, turning it every now and then, until it is slightly browned all over.
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Turn down the heat and stir in the remaining yoghurt (and coconut milk, if using). Bring gently to the boil, stirring frequently, then add the fresh green chillies and the coriander leaves (keeping a little aside to serve).
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Reduce heat to a very gently simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to add a little more yoghurt if the sauce reduces too much. Alternatively, you may need to add a little flour if the sauce is not thick enough (do this by dissolving a spoonful of flour in a splash of cold water and stirring this into the pan.
Add the spinach leaves gradually, stirring well until they have all wilted.
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Now finish off by checking the seasoning and adding a little lemon juice to taste.
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Sprinkle with the remaining coriander and serve with extra chopped green chillies, rice, naan bread and some mango chutney on the side!
