Recipes

15 Recipes that Prove Cardamom Makes Everything Taste Better

Cardamom may be expensive, so put the spice to good use in these 15 recipes.
Cup of masala chai with fresh ginger cinnamon sticks cardamom pods and black tea
Photo by Alex Lau

Cardamom is wonderfully strong and fragrant, and using fresh pods makes a world of difference in flavor. Just keep in mind that 10 pods equals 1½ teaspoons ground cardamom when you're out shopping, because you'll soon be using them to make everything, from teas to rice, chicken to truffles.

  • Cup of masala chai with fresh ginger cinnamon sticks cardamom pods and black tea
    Photo by Alex Lau
    3/15

    BA's Best Masala Chai

    This chai is definitively ginger-forward. Feel free to add a little more maple syrup if you like it on the sweeter side.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Vegetable Rice and Bread
    Marcus Nilsson
    4/15

    Spiced Rice

    Rinsing the rice before cooking ensures the grains will be fluffy and separated, not gluey.

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  • A white platter of jicama radish and pickled plum salad on a white background.
    Christopher Baker
    7/15

    Jicama, Radish, and Pickled Plum Salad

    Inspired by chile salt–sprinkled mangos, this salad is so deftly seasoned, you won’t even notice there’s not a drop of oil in the whole dish.

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  • chicken tikka masala recipe
    Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Judy Mancini
    8/15

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    The yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor.

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  • Image may contain Drink Beer Glass Alcohol Glass Beer Beverage Animal Invertebrate and Insect
    Anders Overgaard
    11/15

    Aquavit Toddy

    This bracing drink comes from Fuglen. If using apple cider, choose one that's all apples with no added spices.

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  • Image may contain Plant and Food
    Matt Duckor
    12/15

    Massaman Curry Paste

    Most of these ingredients can be found at Asian markets or in the Asian section of the supermarket.

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  • Image may contain Drink Milk Juice Milkshake Smoothie and Beverage
    Alex Lau
    13/15

    Lahore Deli's Chai

    Customize this blend by adding a crushed cinnamon stick or big pinch of grated fresh ginger to the first step.

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  • Image may contain Food Bread Plant Human Person Vegetable Nut and Almond
    Ditte Isager
    14/15

    Cardamom Pound Cake

    Part of what gives this cake its light texture is beating the butter and sugar well, so don't rush this step.

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Digital Recipe Editor. Jill edits all the recipes published online, so if something in your oven explodes, you will be able to partly blame her for that—but hopefully that never happens! Besides wasting way too much time on the Internet, she’s into Steelers football, reading nerdy books, forgetting deep conversations ... Read More
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