Omega Black Cardamom: smoky whole pods for biryani, pulao, nihari and garam masala. Single 1 kg pack.
Black cardamom is a large, wrinkled pod dried over fire, which gives it a smoky, camphor-like aroma quite different from green cardamom. It is a key whole spice in biryani, pulao, nihari, korma and garam masala blends. Add one or two lightly cracked pods to the oil at the start of cooking or drop them into rice water, then remove them before serving. Black cardamom is too strong for sweets; reserve it for savoury, slow-cooked dishes. Black cardamom comes from Amomum subulatum, a perennial plant of the ginger family, which is also called hill or greater cardamom. Keep the pods whole in an airtight tin; their smoky scent is strong enough to perfume other spices stored loosely beside them. Its pods have a strong, camphor-like flavour, with a smoky character that comes from the way they are dried.
