cardamom pods

[AeroMocha]

Can anyone tell me about using cardamom pods?

I was going to try this Jack Monroe recipe:
cookingonabootstrap.com/2016/01/19/mushroom-rogan-josh-26p-vegan/

and I have some cardamom pods in the cupoard from ages ago, though I can't remember ever using them.

She says to break them to release the seeds. But does that mean to use the seeds only? ie scrape them out of the pod somehow? Or just to bruise/bash the pod and then put the whole thing in? (She likens it to what you do with the garlic, which is bruising it and then putting it all in, so possibly that's what it means). And which bit of it do you then eat in the end - the pod as well, or do you have to go pick that out as you eat?

I usually just chuck the whole pods in. I crush them a bit with the back of a knife, but that's it. You can eat them, though you might prefer to pick them out.

I chuck them in whole as well - love the flavour it gives to a curry but hate biting on one by mistake so try and remove them before serving if you can.

crush in pestle and mortar with any other seeds you will be using.

Thanks

I don't have a pestle and mortar but I can use a wide knife as she recommends.

But wasn't then sure whether to try to get the small seeds out from the inside or just crush and add whole.

I'll try to add the crushed whole but take it out before serving. Just the pod I guess and try to leave the seeds in?

the other spices are already ground.

(it's not a hugely authentic recipe!! Nor is it actually anywhere near as cheap as she lists, but it is pretty frugal still).

Crush a bit with a knife. They are not pleasant to eat, so I put them - and bay leaves - in paper drawstring 'teabags' that I can hoick out easily after cooking (bought from eBay).

Bash it.
Don't eat them!
I warn the kids to "pick out the bits of wood" if I've cooked with cloves or cardamom.

You can eat the seeds but not the pod. Just crush the pods lightly then chuck them in and remove as you eat. If you do put one in yoyur mouth by mistake it just feels a bit tough and papery and you can just remove it.

You can buy powdered cardamom which is much less hassle. I use it in my orange and cardamom scones.

Bash them, don't eat them.

thanks all. I'll have a go and see how it comes out. The paper tea-bag things sound useful!

@Babdoc

You can buy powdered cardamom which is much less hassle. I use it in my orange and cardamom scones.

Interestingly, I bought some ground cardamom today. Ground black cardamom was £1.79, green ground cardamom was £4.99!