spice
Black cardamom seeds
Badi Elaichi Ke Beej
2.5 g1 teaspoon
8 g1 tablespoon
1 g1 one whole dried black cardamom pod (the counted unit; seeds inside)
Spice-trade metric; measured by weight only in text | Whole black cardamom seeds, loosely packed; spice-trade bulk density. | Typical dried Amomum subulatum pod is about 1 g; individual seeds are ~0.03 g, so Indian recipes count pods rather than individual seeds.
Instead of Black cardamom seeds
The concentrated campfire smoke and resinous camphor of black cardamom seeds cannot be fully reproduced.
Ground black cardamomUse equal weight. Whisk into marinades or curry bases; integrates seamlessly without biting into gritty whole seeds.
Green cardamom seedUse equal weight with a tiny pinch of ground cloves. Crush and add to spices; imparts a sweet, bright floral note instead of intense smoke.
