Whole spice

Black Cardamom

What is Black Cardamom?

Black cardamom is the smoky whole spice behind the depth in nihari, pulao and other slow-cooked Pakistani meat dishes.

What does it taste like?

Smoky, resinous and camphorous — a different spice from green cardamom despite the shared name, and far more assertive..

How Pakistanis use it

Whole black cardamom pods are added early to the oil or ghee in slow-cooked dishes like nihari and pulao, where their smoke infuses the pot over a long cook. Because the flavour is strong, pods are usually removed before serving rather than eaten..

Where to buy it

Sold whole at South Asian grocers; look for large, dark, slightly wrinkled pods rather than small or pale ones..

Substitutes

Green cardamom cannot copy the smoke; if black cardamom is unavailable, a small piece of whole clove added sparingly gets closer than green cardamom alone..

Storage

Keep pods whole and sealed in an airtight container; cracking them before use releases aroma too early and weakens the final dish..