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cardamom Definition

car·da·mom (kär′də məm, -mäm′)

noun

  1. an Asiatic herb (Elettaria cardamomum) of the ginger family
  2. its seed capsule or seed, used in medicine and as a spice
  3. any of various related plants which produce similar aromatic compounds

Etymology: L cardamomum < Gr kardamōmon < kardamon, cress + amōmon, an Indian spice plant

Also cardamon car′·da·mon (-mən, -män′)
cardamom Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • add: You may add cardamom, saffron or rose essence if you prefer a classic Indian flavor.
  • grind: Sprinkle with the salt, ground green cardamom, sugar and coriander.

Adjective modifier

  • green: Its smell is more medicinal than green cardamom with a hint of pine smoke.
  • black: Add the cinnamon sticks and black cardamoms and let them sizzle for a few seconds before adding the marinated meat with its liquid.
  • whole: When a recipe calls for whole cardamom, crack the pod slightly before adding them to the dish to extract the full flavor.
  • crushed: Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, crushed cardamoms, ginger, orange zest and peppers.

Modifies a noun

  • pod: Then add 2 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, ½ teaspoon of whole cumin seeds.
  • seed: A pinch or two of powdered cardamom seed may be added during the boiling.
  • powder: The negative effects of both can be very much reduced by adding a little cardamom powder.
  • plantation: We visited the Mayan ruins whilst there, also saw coffee and cardamom plantations, rode horses and relaxed in the hot springs.
  • tea: We knock back a cup of cardamom tea in a posh vegetarian restaurant.

Noun used with modifier

  • ground: When ground cardamom is called for split the pods and grind the seeds, discarding the green pods.