6 Best Cardamom Substitute

 

Cardamom is used as a spice for different types of dishes and one of the popular ingredients used in Indian cuisine and Scandinavian dishes. If you are out of cardamom stock and you need some for your recipe immediately, you can find the best cardamom substitute listed below so that you don’t need to rush to the store for any. 

Cardamom's flavor is spicy while additionally offering citrus and herbal taste. To say the least, it is a strong and versatile spice. Its flexibility can be found in the way that it is utilized in numerous cooking styles throughout the planet just as in the way that it is utilized in both sweet and exquisite applications.

There are numerous reasons that you may require a substitute for cardamom, for example, being put off by the expense or because you are cooking for somebody with an allergy. Fortunately, you have alternatives and you will find cardamom substitutes within your spices cabinet. 

However, it is important to note that cardamom is the world’s third most expensive spice surpassing the price of vanilla and saffron due to its health benefits and nutritional facts.

6 Best Substitute for a Cardamom

1. Clove

Cloves are a strongly musky spice with a marginally bitter taste. You can purchase cloves in whole or ground form and used them in a variety of dishes. Like cardamom, it adds intricate essence to meats, desserts, and beverages. 

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a woody spice and can be purchased in the form of ground or sticks. It is considered the best cardamom replacement when cinnamon is mixed with nutmeg and used in recipes.

3. Nutmeg

You can purchase nutmeg in the form of seed or powder. It has a nutty flavor to that of chai tea and it is one of the best substitutes for cardamom due to its taste resemblance.

4. Apple Pie Spice

Apple pie spice is popularly sold by McCormick with the inclusion of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice ingredients. 

5. Ginger

Cardamom belongs to the ginger family and ginger has the flavor of cardamom. Therefore ginger serves as a substitute for cardamom and cardamom can be used as a substitute for ginger.

6 Allspice

Allspice has similar flavor profiles to that of cardamom. You can purchase allspice in the form of whole or ground from a grocery store and it is popular in Caribbean cuisine.

Four different combinations for cardamom substitute

There are three different types of cardamom. Green cardamom is mostly used in sweet dishes and white cardamom is used in desserts. The third type of cardamom is called black cardamom commonly used to flavor dishes prepared from meat products. Since it is expensive, you need to find a substitute for cardamom as follows.

1. Combination of Cinnamon and Nutmeg

We have a cardamom substitute with strong and complex flavors. The combination of cinnamon and nutmeg is suggested for use in flavorful dishes, for example, those that element rice and meat. You should add ½ teaspoon of each flavor to replace 1 teaspoon of cardamom.

Cinnamon and nutmeg are recommended as the best cardamom substitute. In comparison with nutmeg, cinnamon is the most popular replacement for cardamom, and nutmeg is used as an inexpensive alternative. When utilizing both of these flavors instead of cardamom, it is suggested that you start with the half portion of the spice that your recipe requires and change the quantity according to its taste.

2. Combination of cloves and cinnamon

Due to the complexity of cardamom's flavor, your most ideal choice for a cardamom substitute will be a mix of two other intense and complex flavors. The acerbic power of cloves combined with the sweetened woodiness of cinnamon can effectively imitate the flavor found in cardamom. This cardamom substitute is suggested for use in meat and fish dishes. 

To replace 1 teaspoon of cardamom, you will have to utilize ½ teaspoon of each of these spices.

3. Combination of ginger and cinnamon

You can use ginger instead of cloves. It will also provide the same flavor as that of the combination of cloves and cinnamon. Add ½ teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon to generate the same essence used for rice and meats.

4. Combination of cloves and nutmeg

If your spice cabinet is in shortage of cinnamon, you can use the combination of cloves and nutmeg to equally imitate the flavor found in cardamom. Add ½ teaspoon each of cloves and nutmeg to produce the same essence used for rice and meats.

The best substitute for black cardamom

The best substitute for black cardamom is a composite of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. These 3 aromas combine to recreate the complex flavors and taste of dark cardamom pods. Associate powdered cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice into a mixture that can be used in various types of dishes.

How to use cardamom in recipes

Cardamom seeds are available in the market and grocery stores without pod coverings. However, the recipes you want to prepare requires ground cardamom. How to get ground cardamom? Here are the simple tips to prepare crushed cardamom powder for your dishes.

I hope your spice cabinet has cardamom powder stored but sometimes you need crushed cardamom powder to prepare spicy dishes. Crushing 12 seeds of cardamom is equivalent to 1 cardamom pod. Again crushing down 3 cardamom pods will result in producing ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder.

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