From potato soup to tikka masala to ice cream, this collection has you covered from appetizer to dessert. Cardamom is a fragrant spice with a strong flavor. This spice has flavors similar to eucalyptus, mint, and pepper. It’s a fantastic addition to both savory and sweet dishes alike. From soups and main entrees to snacks and desserts, there are endless dishes you can use cardamom in. It can be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve narrowed down the options for you. Here are 30 recipes that will make you love cardamom so much that it’ll be your newest favorite ingredient. After trying just one of these recipes, you’ll want an infinite supply of cardamom in your pantry!
1. Cardamom Chicken (Masala Murgh)
Love Indian food? I do too, and this masala murgh is highly recommended. This dish’s bright red-orange hue is a clear indicator of its hot and fiery flavor. Aside from cardamom, this dish is also spiced with turmeric, cayenne, and pepper. If you enjoy spicy chicken, this is definitely a must-try. Chase your masala murgh rice or serve it with naan or roti so you’ll have something to sop up all the luscious sauce.
2. Easy Homemade Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream (Kulfi)
The best way to refresh your palate from a hot and spicy dish is this refreshing pistachio cardamom ice cream. This is a recipe for kulfi, which is Indian-style ice cream. You’ll love this more than regular ice cream because it’s extra rich and creamy. This is thanks to the process of slow-cooking milk until it’s thick and caramelized.
3. Cardamom Honey Chicken
Honey chicken alone is already good, so you can just imagine how much greater this cardamom honey chicken will be. This is roasted chicken that’s pre-bathed in a blend of honey, sherry, pepper, and cardamom. You can already tell how heavenly your kitchen will smell when you make this! With a fabulous mix of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, this chicken dish will be a certified hit with the entire family.
4. Spicy Sri Lankan Black Pork Curry
This Sri Lankan black pork curry has such big and bold flavors! It’s marinated overnight in a blend of Sri Lankan red curry, tamarind, cardamom, and spices. Every strand of pork and block of fat in this dish is packed with flavor. As you prepare this dish, don’t forget to cook rice, as well. You have to eat it with rice, as it just won’t be right without it.
5. Masala Chai
If you call yourself a tea enthusiast, you have to learn how to make masala chai. It’s more popularly known here in the US as chai tea. It’s an Indian beverage made with black tea and spices mixed with milk. It has just the right level of creaminess, sweetness, and spiciness. Masala chai is the perfect beverage to soothe your body and soul on a cold, dreary day.
6. Sweet Potato Soup
If you ask me, sweet potato soup is so much more delightful than traditional potato soup. There’s just something about the combination of sweet and savory that makes my tastebuds so happy! It’s made with sweet potatoes and coconut milk infused with orange juice, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and spices. This is the coziest, most comforting soup you’ll ever have in your life. Am I exaggerating? Perhaps. But is this soup seriously a must-try? Absolutely.
7. Swedish Cardamom Buns (Kardemummabullar)
Cinnamon buns are an American favorite, but these Swedish cardamom buns are in a league of their own. True, they’re not popular at all, but these buns are love at first bite. With a pillowy bread and a sweet and fragrant cardamom sugar filling, it’s what pastry dreams are made of. You’ll have to make bread from scratch in this recipe, but don’t worry, the steps are very descriptive and easy to follow!
8. Yellow Rice with Cardamom & Cloves
Man, this is one image that can sure make one hungry. Cooked with vegan butter, cardamom, garlic, saffron, and tons of spices, this yellow rice is unbelievably fragrant and flavorful. I’m not ashamed to say that I can eat a whole platter of this in one sitting, especially when served with curry or tikka masala.
9. Norwegian Krumkaker
Christmas in Norway isn’t complete without these wafer-thin cookies. Krumkaker are thin, cone-shaped butter cookies decorated with floral details. You can eat the cones plain, or fill them with cream and/or jam. Crisp, buttery, sweet, and lightly spiced with cardamom and nutmeg, these cookies are the ultimate holiday treat.
10. Chicken Tikka Masala
This is one of my go-to orders whenever dining at an Indian restaurant. So when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Thankfully, this chicken tikka masala did not disappoint. With its buttery spicy curry and juicy grilled chicken, I couldn’t be happier. Serve tikka masala with jasmine rice, naan, or roti, and enjoy.
11. Blackberry Cardamom Peach Crisp
If you think you’ve already had the best peach crisp of your life, you might want to try this one. I’m sure it’ll change your life. You’ll love how the sweetness of the cardamom complements the flavors of the peaches and blackberries in this dessert. The crisp on top, which is made with almonds, coconut flakes, and maple syrup, provides the perfect crumbly finish.
12. Chai Spice White Chocolate Truffle
Dark chocolate truffles are great, but these chai white chocolate truffles are quite something else. Oozing with white chocolate infused with cardamom and spices, these white truffles are as sophisticated as sophisticated can get.
13. Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
These earl grey shortbread cookies will be your newest favorite afternoon teatime snack! They’re crunchy and crumbly, sweet and buttery, and have such a wonderful aroma and flavor from earl grey and cardamom. For the non-versed, earl grey is a black tea infused with bergamot oil. As bergamot is a type of citrus, this tea has hints of lemon, orange, and grapefruit flavors.
14. Beef Massaman Curry
Here’s a southern Thai curry that will surely tantalize your tastebuds. Massaman curry is creamy with a mildly sweet and spicy flavor. The dish is seasoned with cinnamon, star, anise, bay leaf, and cardamom, which further enhance its taste. Left it to the last minute? That’s fine. Despite its deep flavors, this curry is surprisingly ready in just 30 minutes.
15. Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)
As complicated as its name sounds, kardemummakaka is a simple butter cake infused with cardamom. It’s dense yet tender and moist, which makes it an ideal companion to coffee or tea. Because of its simple baking ingredients, you can enjoy this lovely Swedish dessert without leaving your home.
16. Cardamom, Saffron, and Vanilla Poached Pear
The sound of poaching fruit may be boring to some, but wait until you try this incredible poached pear. Here, the pears are simmered in a mixture of saffron, vanilla, white wine, and cardamom. The cardamom mixture is reduced into a thick golden syrup, which is then used to drizzle over the poached pears. It’s a light dessert, yet definitely rich in flavor.
17. Super Crunchy Cardamom and Coconut Cashew Granola
Make your boring granola extra exciting with cardamom! This granola has a mix of cashews, almonds, coconut, oats, and pumpkin seeds. They’re coated with maple syrup and coconut oil infused with cardamom and vanilla and baked to brighten and enhance their taste. That said, don’t just expect a simple medley of nuts and seeds in this granola. Expect each grain to burst with flavor.
18. Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad
This cardamom citrus fruit salad is crunchy, juicy, and refreshing as can be. The technique of giving the fruits a much deeper flavor couldn’t be easier. Simply coated them in a mixture of honey, lime juice, and cardamom. This recipe uses grapefruit and a medley of oranges, but feel free to add other fresh fruit you have on hand, as well. The more colorful your salad is, the more delicious it’ll be!
19. Mango Lassi
I never dine at a Middle Eastern restaurant without ordering mango lassi. This drink is just too freaking irresistible! Think mango milkshake, but instead of cream or milk, yogurt is used. The beverage is also spiced with cardamom to complement the sweetness of the mangoes. If you’re yet to try it, look forward to a thick, creamy, and wildly delicious refreshment.
20. Cardamom Spritz Cookies
Hats off to whoever whipped up these colorful Christmas cookies. They really do spread some holiday joy. Spritz cookies are crispy butter cookies that are a Christmas staple in Scandinavian countries. The dough is made of flour, sugar, butter, cream cheese, egg, and cardamom. These cookies are wonderfully rich, buttery, sweet, and super fragrant. Not to mention, they’re adorable!
21. Braided Cardamom Bread (Finnish Pulla)
If you like soft, pillowy braided breads, then you have to try the Finnish pulla. Aside from the texture that is very much on point, the Finnish pulla also has a sweet cardamom glaze drizzled over it. So while this bread is perfect for breakfast, it’s also sweet enough to be served as a dessert.
22. Vanilla Cardamom Waffles
These waffles are light and fluffy with a bit of crunch from adding cornmeal to the batter. The flavor is mildly sweet with notes of vanilla and cardamom. Serve them as you would any waffles, with maple syrup and butter, jam, berries, and fruit, or with eggs and bacon.
23. Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (Copycat Recipe)
Skip the line at Starbucks and just make your very own chai tea latte at home! This recipe will bring out the inner barista in you. It’s made with just three ingredients: chai tea concentrate, milk, and cinnamon. You’re probably wondering why cardamom isn’t on the list. Don’t worry, it’s already in the chai tea.
24. Apple Cardamom Crisp
Make the classic apple crisp even more scrumptious by adding just a pinch of cardamom to the filling! Because cardamom has a mildly sweet flavor, it goes really well with fall fruits such as pears and apples.
25. Pumpkin Pie
The author of this recipe wasn’t lying when they said it makes the perfect pumpkin pie. With its flaky crust and sweet custard filling, this is absolute pie perfection. The fall spices in the filling, particularly the cardamom, enhance the pumpkin’s sweetness and add aroma, to boot. Serve this pie with ice cream or whipped cream on top for the ultimate autumn dessert.
26. Chai Spice Cupcakes
Getting bored with your usual vanilla, lemon, or chocolate cupcakes? How about adding some chai spice action in there? Both the cupcakes and the frosting are infused with cardamom, cinnamon, and other spices. The flavor of chai really does shine through in the dessert. It all starts with a simple white cake mix. Because of all the spices infused in it, you can easily make everyone believe they were made from scratch.
27. Pumpkin Cheesecake
Can’t decide between pumpkin pie and cheesecake? Well, you don’t have to choose between the two anymore. Make this hybrid dessert to grant your taste buds’ wishes. This pumpkin cheesecake is smooth and silky with sweet and spiced flavors from pumpkin and cardamom. Take the cheesecake up a notch by serving it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed Pizzelle cookies.
28. Easy Leftover Butter Turkey Curry
The great thing about post-Thanksgiving is the myriad of dishes you can make with the leftovers. Turkey isn’t typically used in curries, but since you have an abundance of leftovers, we’ll make an exception. Leftover turkey is usually dry, but you’ll be surprised at how tender and juicy it gets in this recipe. It’s a total game-changer!
29. Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup
Seasoned with turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, coconut, and cardamom, it’s no wonder this lentil soup glows. Thie hearty and warming soup is absolutely the perfect dish to have on a snowy or rainy day.
30. Saffron Cardamom Ice Cream
Let’s end the list with a bang, shall we? This saffron cardamom ice cream definitely is the bomb, and it will blow your tastebuds away. This ice cream is ridiculously rich and creamy. It’s super fragrant thanks to the cardamom. Saffron gives the ice cream its bright hue as well as an earthy flavor. The cardamom contributes sweetness, while the pistachios add nuttiness and crunch. Together, they make one heck of a tasty ice cream with wonderfully exotic flavors. Click on a star to rate it!
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