CARDAMOM


Cardamom has a high amount of manganese &  smaller amounts of fiber & iron, as well as plenty of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A & zinc.

The cardamom oil has antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic & tonic properties.

Cardamom relieves problems with muscle spasms & can even offer cancer protection & improved blood circulation.
Regular use of cardamom can help treat a wide variety of kidneybladder urinary problems like kidney stonesnephritisburning or painful urination & frequent urges to urinate.
Cardamom removes calcium & urea accumulated in the kidneys.
It is also often used in the treatment of urinary tract infections.
The dried seeds have been used in piles, diseases of the bladder, earache & toothache, as a breath freshener & energy booster.
Cardamom is used to treat infections in teeth & gums, to prevent & treat throat & pulmonary tuberculosis.
It is also  used as an antidote for both snake & scorpion venom.
The anti-inflammatory quality of Cardamom helps to cure inflammation of the urinary tract.
It’s been long noted to successfully treat urinary tract infections – even gonorrhea.

Cardamom clears food cravings & refreshes the palate.

Cardamom is an antidote to caffeine & it detoxifies the caffeine in coffee & is used in making tea to relieve the symptoms of headache & stress, also these seeds can be taken along with honey to improve the eyesight.
To get rid of hiccups take few pods of cardamom & boil them in water. Drink it.
Cardamom is recommended for cough, asthma, bronchitis, sore throat, chest congestion & throat infection.
Cardamom enhances the blood circulation to lungs, which avoids the possibility of spasms & fainting.
Cardamom is also good for respiratory problems & allergies.
Cardamom seeds & its oil are also used for treating respiratory ailmentsgastrointestinal disordersinflammation of the eyelids.
Boil Cardamom & cinnamon in water & gargle every morning to control painful sore throats.
Cardamom helps in the elimination of toxins from body.
It also alleviates heart burn & skin inflammation.
Cardamom is found to lower high blood pressure, prevents cardiovascular diseases also & is an excellent diuretic.
Mildly warming & analgesic, its oil relieves colic & gas & helps settle nausea, griping & indigestion. It combines well with chamomile. It is used to relieve digestive disorders & flatulence.
Powdered with cloves & ginger, it is good in indigestion.
Cardamom is a proven effective for gas problem, aids digestion & stomach pain.
Cardamom reduces flatulence & bloating & helps treat colic & stomach cramping.
It increases bile flow, which in turn improves digestion of fats as well as other nutrients.
Cardamom helps with digestive problems, such as constipation, dysentery, acidity& different types of stomach infections.
In East Indian medicine practices, 5 grains of cardamom chewed 3x a day can kill harmful H. pylori bacteria that causes intestinal infections & chronic pain.
It destroys mucous in the stomach & upper GI.
In the Middle East cardamom seeds have good  reputation as an aphrodisiac.
Cardamom has been touted as having aphrodisiac properties with the ability to cure impotency.

PRECAUTIONS:

Cardamom is not recommended in amounts greater than those typically found in food for those with gallstones.The cardamom seed can trigger gallstone colic.
Some people may experience an allergic reaction to cardamom, which can be serious & can include breathing difficulties, chest discomfort, hives or swelling of the skin.
Certain drugs may interact with cardamom adversely & lead to serious health consequences.
Excessive use of cardamom may lead to impotency.
People suffering from internal ulcers should avoid cardamom.


RECIPES:

In the middle east, the traditional way to make cardamom coffee is with equal parts cardamom seeds & coffee beans, flavored with sugar, cloves  & saffron.
As a culinary herb it is used to flavor spicy, hot curries & rice dishes.
Drink a warming cup of cardamom tea, or use it in steam inhalations & foot baths.

For Bad Breath make an infusion of 1 tsp each cardamom, cinnamon & bay leaves in 1 cup of water. Drink it.

To treat Anemia, add a pinch of cardamom & 0,5 tsp of turmeric to a glass of warm milk & drink every night.

Tea for Cough With Mucous:
Pour 1 cup of boiling water over ½ tsp each ginger powder, clove powder & cinnamon powder.
Strain & drink warm.

Gargle with tea, made of 1 tsp crushed cardamom & 1 tsp cinnamon or/& dry mint leaves with hot water to treat sore throats, mouth ulcers & inflammation.

Spicy Cake with Foxberries:

150 g butter
2 dl sugar
1 egg
2 dl natural yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp baking powder

Topping:
200 g foxberries/lingonberries
0,5 dl sugar

Whisk butter with sugar until fluffy.
Add an egg & yogurt, finally all mixed dry ingredients.
Mix the dough lightly, don't overdo it.
Pour the mixture into the prepared ca 25 cm/12 inch  baking tray or tin.
Spread berries on top, sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 200C for ca 30 min.

Fried Apples:

4 big apples
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom
2 tbsp dark syrup
Slice apples into sectors.
Fry apples with butter in hot pan, stirring occasionally so all sides can be fried nicely.
Mix together sugar, cinnamon, cardamom.
Sprinkle spices over the apples, heat little more.
Lift the apples into the bowl or plate & drizzle the syrup from the pan over the apples.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Spicy Coffee:

200 ml coffee
600 ml hot whisked milk
sprinkle of freshly ground cardamom
sprinkle of ground cinnamon
little bit vanilla sugar
Pop into the cup little bit of vanilla sugar.
Pour over good strong freshly made coffee.
Add whisked milk.
Sprinkle spices on top.

Masala Chai:

2 cups of water
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/8 tsp freshly crushed black pepper
4 whole cloves
4 crushed cardamom pods
1 cinnamon, crushed
2 cups of milk
2 tsp Demerara sugar
2 tsp black tea
honey for taste
Place water, ginger, pepper, cloves, cardamom & cinnamon into the pot & heat until boiling point.
Add milk & sugar bring to boil.
Take it off the heat & add black tea.
Cover & let it steep for 3 min.
Strain it into the warmed teapot.

Poached Pears:

750 ml pear cider
175g sugar
2½cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled & sliced
3 cloves
1 large cinnamon stick
1 small red chili pepper
10 cardamom pods
1 vanilla pod, split in half, seeds scraped out using a knife
4 firm pears, peeled, stalks intact

For the salted caramel sauce:
300ml whipping cream
1 tsp sea salt crystals

Find a saucepan large enough to fit the 4 pears snugly.
Add the cider, sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick, chili pepper & cardamom to the pan & bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.
Add the vanilla pod, vanilla seeds & pears to the pan, making sure the liquid covers the pears completely.
Cut out a circle of greaseproof paper a little larger than the diameter of the pan.
Place the circle over the pears, pressing it down so that it fits inside the pan.
Return the pan to the heat & bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until the pears are just tender.
Remove the pan from the heat & set aside to cool, then chill the pears, in their syrup, in the fridge, overnight if possible.
When ready to serve the pears, strain 200 ml of the cooled syrup into a pan.
Bring the syrup to the boil, reduce the heat until it is simmering & continue to simmer until the liquid has thickened to a syrup & reduced in volume by half.
Whisk in the whipping cream & cook to heat for a further 1-2 minutes.
Just before serving, sprinkle over the salt crystals.
To serve, carefully remove the pears from the remaining syrup.
Slice the bottom off each pear so that each can be stood upright on a plate.
Spoon over a tablespoon of the remaining poaching syrup.
Drizzle over the salted caramel sauce.

Poached Plums:

5 green cardamom pods
250 ml water
110 g caster sugar
8-16 ripe plums, halved & stoned
Lightly crush the cardamom pods, remove the seeds & crush them with a pestle & mortar.
Combine the ground cardamom, water & sugar in a heavy-based saucepan, stirring over a medium-low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil & simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until you get a syrup for poaching.
Add the plums, cover & simmer for 4-5 minutes until the plums are tender.
Leave to cool slightly.
Serve the plums when still warm with crème fraîche & toasted almond flakes.

Mulled Wine:

75 ml vodka
2 cinnamon sticks
10-20 cloves
2-3 pieces of dried ginger
1 tsp cardamom pods
3-4 pieces of dried Seville orange peel
½ tbsp raisins
1 bottle of red wine
110 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 tbsp raisins
10-20 almonds, blanched & peeled
Pour the vodka into a small jar.
Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange peel, cardamom & raisins.
Cover & leave to infuse for at least a day, preferably a week.
Pour the vodka & spices into a saucepan & add the wine & sugars.
Stir & heat until the sugar is dissolved & the mixture is hot but not boiling, about 80ºC.
Leave to cool & then sieve, to remove the spices & pour into sterilized bottles & keep until required.
Heat gently before serving, but don’t let it boil.
Place 2 - 3 raisins & 2 - 3 almonds in the bottom of each glass & top up with mulled wine.
It will keep for several weeks in sterilized bottles.

BEAUTY:

The antioxidants present in cardamom help us fight against premature aging & keep skin toned & youthful. Boil cardamom in water & use it as a toner.

For healthy & shiny hair use cardamom tea to rinse hair.

For Blemishes & Acne take a pinch of cardamom powder & mix with few drops of lemon juice. 
Apply over the problem area. 
Leave for 10 min & wash off with water.

For Cleansing apply a few drops of cardamom essential oil on the face & massage for 2 min. 
Wash off with your regular cleanser.

Clear Skin Mask:

mix 1 tsp of cardamom powder & curd in a bowl. 
Apply on the face. 
Leave for 15 minutes & wash off with water.

MAGIC:

Cardamom seeds are used in magic spells that intend to bring about lust, passion & love.
It brings good luck in love & sexual relationships & enhances attractiveness to the opposite sex.
Can be used in love philtres & amulets to attract a lover.
Cardamom also stimulates & arouses the base chakra.

As an ingredient of incense it may bring clarity to a situation where selfishness destroys love, or the mind is confused & the heart torn between two lovers.

Also acts as a catalyst to other herbs.

Cardamom will amplify a love that is already there or strengthen existing relationships.
Drink a cup of Chai tea with cardamom in it for this purpose.


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