Cardamom is a spice that people have used for centuries for both in cooking and as a medicine. There are two kinds of cardamoms, Green and black and here in this article, you’ll know the difference in both types of cardamoms, their benefits and even recipes for choti elachi.

It has a distinctive flavor that complements both sweet and savory dishes. People may use cardamom seeds and pods in curries, desserts, as well as in beverages, such as coffee and chai tea.

Cardamom is an aromatic seed pod used in many Indian preparations such as a creamy kheer. The small cardamom or Choti Elaichi is often used in Ayurvedic medicines that enhance physical strength. Cardamom may help lower blood pressure, most likely due to its antioxidant and diuretic properties.

Cardamom is the world’s third most expensive spice and it is native to India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Indonesia. It called the Queen of Spices.

Question: What are the types of Cardamom?

Answer: Green and black cardamom

Difference Between Green Cardamom & Black Cardamom

1. Green Cardamom: Green Cardamom is used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes; such as-Sweet Rice, Kheer, Zarda Rice, Panjiri, Pinnies,
2. Black Cardamom: But Black Cardamom is brown and slightly elongated. Black Cardamom can be used to make Masala Chai. It also can be used in Spicy Curries, Pulao etc.

like curries and biryani. It can be used in garam masala. How I use Black Cardamom?

I use it for Biryani Rice, Kala Chana Soup and sometimes in my masala Chai.

Health Benefits of Green Cardamom

This fragrant spice(Choti Elachi) can add layers of taste to your masala chai, and in overall food experience.

Cardamom is multi-purpose spice, which can be used in curries, breads, rice, Kheer, pan Jiri, Pennies, Burfi, Halwa, Karah etc. It also has so many health benefits, which are written below:

1. Cures cough and cold: To cure Cold & Cough, You can make Masala Chai with Green cardamom.
2.  Aids digestion & Cure Nausea: Cardamom is good for boosting digestive health. Despite being a spice, the cooling effects of cardamom, can help in relieving acidity. Along with this, cardamom can also help in treating gastrointestinal issues like indigestion, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and spasms. How to Use Cardamom for Indigestion? Make masala chai by adding ajwain, choti elachi, saunf and boil in 1/2 cup water for two minutes and if you want little milk in it and pour in a cup and add one black tea bag and required jagrey powder. Don’t eat anything else for an hour. How to use Cardamom for Nausea? Take two green cardamom and some Mishri. Chew together and at the end you can through cardamom skin after chewing it for couple of minutes. This is my favorite and even after food you can eat this way. It is very effective to cure nausea
3. Helps to Lower Blood Pressure: Cardamom may be helpful for people with high blood pressure.
4. Helps to Prevent Inflammation: The antioxidant compounds in cardamom may help protect cells from damage and slow down and prevent inflammation in your body.
5. Heart Health: Study in rats suggest that cardamom could help protect against heart attacks. The antioxidant in green cardamom could help improve heart function
6. Aids in Digestion: Due to its strong aroma, it helps in activating our taste and sensory elements and thus, helps in digestion. You can chew cardamom after the meals to get this benefit
7. Natural Breath Freshener: Sweet aroma of cardamom makes it a natural breath freshener. A major component of cardamom oil called cineole is known for its antimicrobial properties, which promote oral hygiene and it also fights bacteria that cause bad breath.
8. Mental Stress: Cardamom help those, who are going through mental stress, depression or any other mental health issue. How to use Cardamom? You can boil cardamom in water or you can make Masala Chai.
9. Used in Sweet & Savory Dishes: It is used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes
10. Elaichi milk: You can make elaichi milk. How to make elaichi milk? For one serving: In saucepan add some water and when it become hot, add choti elachi and let it boil for 2 minutes, then add milk. Let it boil and add jaggery to enhance the taste.

How to Make Masala Chai?

1. Homemade Indian Chai Recipe

• On medium flame put your Saucepan and pour half cup of Water
• After 2 Seconds, add Fennel Seeds, Cardamom Powder and Ajwain. Now let it boil for two minutes
• Add half Cup of Milk or according to your own taste and let it boil for a while
• In one Cup add (Jaggery Powder or Sugar) and one Orange Pekoe  Tea Bag and then pour this Boiled Spices Water and stir with Spoon.
  Enjoy your Home Made Masala Tea.

2. Spiced milk tea or Masala chai like Indian Street

Think you are coming from work and it is really Cold like here in Canada, instead on waiting in McDonald’s line or TimHorton’s line, better to make it in your own Home, which takes only two minutes and it is fresh and delicious.

If we use excess Spices, then they are not good for our health, but using them in limit, they can give us health Benefits; such as Fennel Seeds, Green Cardamom and Ajwain.

Some people also add Ginger in Tea, but I don’t like, because it is not good for Pitta people.

Buy Green Cardamom Online

Spicy World Green Cardamom Pods 3.5oz (100g) – Natural Spice – By Spicy World

• Spicy World Premium Green Cardamom (Cardamom) is an extra fancy, jumbo high quality cardamom.
• PURE, FRESH, and AROMATIC – we bring only the highest quality, Grade A top level crop of cardamom available. There are many grades – this is the best!
• Cardamom is an all natural spice that is used for sweetening dishes, as well as adding flavor to coffee and tea.
• Cardamom is also used in traditional Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, Scandinavian baking, and more. Try it in Masala Chai for a unique flavor.

Great Bazaar Swad Green Cardamom, 14 Ounce. Excellent Product, shipped in perfect condition.

McCormick Gourmet All Natural Whole Cardamom Pods

• Delivers citrusy-sweet flavors and floral aroma
• Our carefully sourced cardamom pods are certified Organic and non GMO
• Pods are added whole to recipes or sometimes crushed to expose the seeds
• Adds enticing flavor to Indian spice blends, curries, rice pilafs and chai
• In Scandinavian countries, used as a baking spice in cakes, cookies and buns.

Great Bazaar Swad Green Cardamom, 7 Ounce. Excellent Product, shipped in perfect condition. Excellent Product. Made in India, great quality. Excellent Product, shipped in perfect condition.

Cardamom Pods Whole Organic – 2 oz

Green Cardamom Pods (Hari Elachi) 3.5oz (100g) Whole Indian Spice | Elettaria Cardamom

• Whole Pod: Hailing from the ginger family, green cardamom is an aromatic spice used all over the world. Instead of ground cardamom, our elaichi comes to you in whole pods. When using cardamom in this way, you get better flavor.
• All Natural Flavor: You will never find fillers, additives, or anything unnatural in our whole cardamom pods. Indian spices are best enjoyed the way they come, fresh and full of delicious flavor. Elaichi offers a strong and pungent taste.
• High Quality: Even if you have food sensitivities or allergies, you can trust that our cardamom seed pods will be safe for you to consume. Free from dairy and gluten, our cardamom pods are kosher and vegan as well.
• Multitude Of Uses: Green cardamom is often associated with Indian and Middle Eastern Cuisine, and it serves a variety of purposes. From flavoring curries and meat dishes, to adding a distinct flavor to baked goods, our cardamom pods are delicious!
• Unique Gift: Our cardamom seed pods are an excellent gift for the foodie who has everything! When you give our Indian spices to your friends and loved ones, you open them up to a new world of flavors and foods!

Starwest Botanicals Organic Decorticated Cardamom Seeds, 1 Pound Bulk Spice. Latin/Botanical Name: Elettaria cardamomum. Common Names: Bastard cardamom, cardamom, Malabar cardamom.

Indus Organics Green Cardamom (Pods), 16 Oz Jar, Super Jumbo Grade, Hand Picked, Freshly Packed

• Grown in biodiverse environment using sustainable organic methods in Guatemala, 100% USDA Certified Organic
• Have light minty flavor, to add freshness to dishes
• Due to its intense aroma, its heavily used in curries, baking, pilafs, treats, breads, gin, coffee, teas, savory dishes, Middle Eastern and South East Asian sweets
• No GMO, No Chemical Pesticides, No Chemical Fertilizers and No Additives
• Salt free; No MSG, No Preservatives; Non-irradiated, No ETO, processed in Allergan free US plant. Packed in food grade BPA FREE PET material jar.

Buy Black Cardamom Online

The Spice Lab No. 126 – Whole Black Cardamom – Kosher Gluten-Free Non-GMO All Natural Spice – French Jar

• FLAVOR: These Whole Black Cardamom pods impart a warming, smoky flavor, perfect for infusing into spicy, savory recipes.
• COLOR: Dark brown to black pods.
• SIZE: Approximately 1/2 to 1 inch long.

Black Cardamom (Black Elcha) 7oz

• More intense in flavor than green cardamom
• Smoky taste
• Primary component of gram Masala
• Good flavor for stews made of meat
• Excellent for fancy rice dishes as well.

Ahmad Tea Cardamom Tea, 100 Count. The package weight of the product is 10.6 ounces.