Here is the wildest, craziest, most mind-blowing fact about cardamom: Not only is it a spice that is used in savory and sweet dishes, it is an important ingredient in the cuisines of India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Scandinavia.
If geography is not your strongest suit, what makes the fact so bizarre is these areas are nowhere near one another.
It is more than 4,000 miles from India to Norway. It is more than 5,300 miles from Vietnam to Sweden. Jordan is more than 2,500 miles from India and is 2,200 miles from Sweden.
In other words, cardamom has leapfrogged around the world, dropping little bombs of intense and aromatic seasoning wherever it goes. It is not used much in American kitchens, but given the fact that it plays equally well with side dishes, main courses and dessert, perhaps its time has come.
Cardamom is a little bit sharp, a little bit sweet and a little bit rock 'n' roll. A couple of seeds on your tongue can be marvelously refreshing. It is sometimes used to flavor tea, such as chai. And rice pudding simply wouldn't be rice pudding without it.
For my exploration of cardamom, I decided to make five dishes -- Jeweled Rice, Chana Masala, Yogurt Spiced Chicken, Pear and Cardamom Upside-Down Cake and Chewy Molasses Cookies -- that highlight the various aspects of the spice.
This rice dish takes a bit of effort, but is well worth it.
Jeweled Rice
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup unsalted, shelled roasted pistachios
1 orange
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick-sized pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Combine almonds and pistachios; set aside.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from orange and thinly slice the zest lengthwise (reserve flesh for another use).
In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add orange zest and carrots; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Combine cranberries and raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water (not boiling); let soak 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place saffron in another small bowl and add 1/4 cup hot water; set aside.
(The fruit, nut and saffron mixtures can be covered and refrigerated, separately, for up to 2 days at this point.)
Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until grains have lengthened but are still firm, 6 to 7 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water. Spread rice on another rimmed baking sheet; let cool.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cardamom, cumin, turmeric and 1 tablespoon of the saffron mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low, add cranberries and raisins, and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved nuts and orange zest and carrot mixture; season with salt.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large, wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add half of rice, spreading evenly; top with fruit and nut mixture, then remaining rice, spreading evenly. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke 5 to 6 holes in rice all the way through to bottom of pot (to help release steam and help rice cook evenly).
Drizzle remaining saffron mixture over rice. Place a clean kitchen towel over pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and secure loose edges of towel on top of lid, using a rubber band or masking tape.
Cook until pot begins to steam, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook, without stirring, until rice is tender and bottom layer of rice is browned and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
Scoop rice into a wide serving bowl, breaking bottom crust into pieces.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Chana Masala
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
Salt and pepper
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Cook onion, garlic and ginger in oil with cardamom and curry powder until onion is soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices and chickpeas and simmer until soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with rice and cilantro.
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Yogurt Spiced Chicken
1 whole chicken, cut up, or 3 to 4 pounds of chicken pieces
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
Salt and pepper
Rinse chicken and pat dry.
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Add chicken pieces and mix until chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Arrange grill for indirect heat or heat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove as much yogurt marinade as you can. Liberally sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
If using grill, place chicken skin-side-down on the grate away from the coals or flames, and close the lid. Cook white meat 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. Cook dark meat 45 to 55 minutes, turning once.
If using oven, heat a grill pan or heavy, oven-proof skillet very hot on the stove. Coat with a little oil, then place chicken skin-side-down on the pan. Cook until seared and brown, but do not let it burn, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip chicken and place pan in oven. Cook white meat 25 minutes or until done; cook dark meat 45 minutes or until done.
Makes 4 servings.
Pear and Cardamom Upside-Down Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup butter, room temperature, divided use
3/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
2 firm, ripe pears, preferably Anjou
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together. Stir in the cardamom and set aside.
Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar has melted and combined with the butter. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading it to reach the sides.
Peel the pears, cut in half and remove the core and stem. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices in a slightly overlapping circle in the cake pan, starting at the outer rim. Finish with several slices in the center. Sprinkle the pears with the lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Beat the remaining 1/2 cup butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, 1/2 of the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the milk, and the rest of the flour mixture, beating after each addition just until combined.
Gently spoon the cake batter on top of the pears, smoothing out to the edge of the pan and making sure the cake batter fills in around the pears.
Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Place the cake on a rack to cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
Run a small spatula or knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a cake plate, leaving the pan on the cake for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from the Los Angeles Times
Chewy Molasses Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Coarse sugar, for rolling
Place racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; heat to 375 degrees.
Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in a small bowl.
Whisk egg, butter, granulated sugar, molasses and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Mix dry ingredients with wet, just to combine.
Place sanding or raw sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop out dough by the tablespoon and roll into balls (if dough is sticky, chill 20 minutes). Roll in sugar and place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed, cracked and just set around edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Food on 09/17/2014