Black Cardamom - Benefits, Uses & More to Explore

Black Cardamom – found in almost every Indian, these small black pods have their significance in the delicious dishes of the Indian recipes. So, let’s get on the bandwagon and enjoy the journey of different tastes.

What Is Black Cardamom?

You can find this herbal medicine in most kitchens of India. Amomum subulatum (black cardamom) is its scientific name. And, it is found in pods in the zingiberaceae (ginger) family of herbaceous plants. The pods are about an inch long and have a tough, dried, wrinkly skin. They contain small, sticky, dark-colored seeds. With a citrus and eucalyptus flavour, black cardamom has a strong smell.

From the Himalayas to Southern China, numerous species of the genus Amomum can be found growing wild in the mountains. Eastern Nepal, India, and Bhutan are the major producing countries. Moreover, India produces more than half of the global harvest.

Benefits of Black Cardamom for Health:

Most of us really have no clue how black cardamom helps us keep our wellbeing. The spice really does have a wide range of medicinal properties, which we must understand in order to use it as a natural remedy.

• Gastro-Intestinal Health: 

The gastrointestinal tract responds favourably to black cardamom. With its stimulative properties, it can cause the gastric and intestinal glands to secrete essential juices. It also aids in the regulation of the juice secretion process, which serves to maintain the volume of stomach acids under control. As a result, the risk of getting gastric ulcers or other stomach problems is greatly reduced. Heartburn and stomach cramps, two of the most common symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders, can also be relieved with spice. The substance’s digestive properties are also significant in curing and boosting the appetite for chronic constipation.

• Cardiovascular Health: 

Black cardamoms also have a major impact on cardiac health. Cardiac rhythm control is one of the most important benefits, which ultimately maintains control of your blood pressure. With regular black cardamom consumption, your heart stays healthy. It decreases blood clot possibility. This spice also works very well to protect you during the summer from heatstroke or sunstroke.

• Respiratory Health: 

Black cardamom may be a great remedy for you when you are suffering from extreme respiratory problems. This small spice has been shown to effectively treat a variety of respiratory disorders, including asthma, cough whooping, lung congestion, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and others. It warms your respiratory tract to make it easier for air to circulate through your lungs. Furthermore, black cardamom acts as an expectorant, preventing coughs, colds, and sore throats by relieving mucous membranes and normalizing mucous membrane flow through the respiratory system.

• Oral Health:

Many other dental problems can be treated with black cardamoms, such as teeth infections, gum infections etc. Its strong fragrance can also help to heal halitosis or breathe illness.

• Urinary Health: 

Black cardamom can make urine easier and keep your renal system healthy by being an efficient diuretic.

• Anti-Carcinogenic Properties: 

The black cardamom, which combats breast, colon, prostatic and ovarian cancer, has two antioxidant agents named 3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM) and Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C). The spice also increases the amount of glutathione (anti-oxidants) in the body by its anti-cancer characteristics and prevents cancer cells from generating and growing.

• Detoxification:

According to research, black cardamom is an excellent natural antiseptic for your body. It can remove caffeine from the blood so that you can keep away from the alkaloid’s harmful impacts.

• Anesthetic Properties:

Highly anaesthetic and sedative, the cardamom oil is extracted from black cardamom. It can alleviate acute pain such as headaches and provide immediate relief. The spice’s essential oil is also used to relieve tension and exhaustion.

• Antiseptic and Antibacterial Properties:

Black cardamom has been shown to be able to kill almost 14 different bacteria and viruses. Its intake, therefore, increases your immunity and protects you against viral or bacterial infections.

Benefits of Black Cardamom for Skin:

With black cardamom advantages both externally and internally, you can seek its advantages for your skin. To find out how this spice can improve your appearance, walk onto the following section:

Black cardamom, along with the most important nutrients, includes potassium and antioxidant vitamin C. Thus, your internal system can be free from harmful substances by regular consumption of this spice, which improves blood circulation across the skin and keeps it healthy. If you want to look strong, toned and youthful, start to consume black cardamom regularly.

Not only does the black cardamom keep your ageing intact, but it also helps to make your skin fairer.

Black cardamom is the natural remedy for ‘contact dermatitis’ – a skin allergy due to its antibacterial properties.

Benefits of Black Cardamom for Hair:

Good for your hair when you are using black cardamom in the kitchen or using cardamom oil topically. Learn more about the hair benefits of black cardamom.

Black cardamom’s antioxidant properties help nourish the scalp and hair strands. As a result, you’ll have tresses that are solid, dense, and shiny.

Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties make it beneficial for avoiding scalp inflammation and infection.

How To Select Black Cardamom

• Cardamom on the ground is easier to find than in pods.
• Try to buy all black cardamom instead of seed because after removing the skin, the spice will lose its strength and aroma.
• It is also preferable not to buy the powdered form when full pods are available; they are also cheaper than ground cardamom.
• Look for perfumed and well-formed, fluffy, firm, dry, approx. one-inch long pods.

What Does It Taste Like?

The smoky aroma and flavour of black cardamom are generated by drying it over an open fire. There are also elements of resin and camphor in this spice, as well as menthol, a mildly minty scent that balances out the otherwise funky flavour. Black cardamom, like black pepper, cloves, and chillies, is classified as a “warming” spice because of its deep, heady notes.

Cooking With Black Cardamom:

The black cardamom pods are mostly used completely and almost always fried in a small oil to release their flavours and aroma in full. The pods can also be slightly crushed to reveal the seed before they are added to a plate. When a recipe calls for black cardamom powder, remove and discard the skin, mix the seeds and use them immediately with a clear dry coffee grinder. The entire pod can also be melted and tightened to remove external skin by a colander.

The black cardamom pods take advantage of the long, slow heat cooking times, working well with other strong spices.

Where to Buy Black Cardamom:

Ground cardamom is easier than the entire pods to find. In Indian food markets, gourmet markets and high-quality supermarkets, black cardamom pods are available, whereas the ground version is often available on the supermarket spice aisle.

Culinary Uses of Black Cardamom:

There are different ways to cook black cardamom in dishes :

• The most common way of cooking biryani rice is to add it to the boiling water. This makes rice more aromatic and absorbs the flavour of all the spices.
• To make it more kickable, it may even be added to achari pulao.
• The black cardamom can be steamed to increase its flavour before the rice is added to Hyderabadi sofiyani biryani. The cardamom taste enriches the biryani’s koftas.
• Adding biryani masala would be the easiest way to incorporate the aroma and taste of black cardamom. This masala is made through the roasting and grinding of many whole spices to form a perfect flavour balance.
• The smoky, intense taste that Badi elaichi gives a lot of gravity. T
• It is so used in many fundamental subzis with gravies like malvani gravy.

Well, well, well, that smells so good with all the flavours and strong black cardamom on the table. So, these wrinkly pods not just enhance the taste of any cuisine but also come with an array of health benefits. So, next time while using it you can always garner its health benefits.