How to Bruise Cardamom
Cardamom is an intensely aromatic spice widely used in Indian cooking. It comes in two varieties: black and green.  The most commonly used of these is green, which has a slightly smoother flavor, and is easily found in most large supermarkets.  To use cardamom in curries and stews, recipes often say to "bruise" the cardamom, which softens it and releases the aroma for a stronger flavor.
1. **Place the cardamom on a flat, clean surface.** You can only bruise 1-2 pods at a time. You will be using the flat side of a knife, lightly cracking open the pods like you might crush garlic.
2. **Use the heel of your hand to push the flat side of a knife into the cardamom.** You simply want to use a large, broad knife to provide consistent, even pressure to the pod, cracking it open. Do not crush too hard, or the seeds will fall out. Simply apply pressure slowly until you hear a crunch.
3. **Throw away the pod if the seeds are light brown and rusty colored.** You'll notice that the seeds inside should just be visible at this point. In good cardamom, they will be dark brown or black, much like coffee beans. If they are not, discard them.
4. **Use the pod as instructed in the recipe, discarding the tough shell upon serving.** Many recipes call for cardamom to slow cook with the meal, and you can then remove the cardamom when you serve. It is an aromatic, imparting a light flavor on dish, but it can be quickly overpowering if you bite into one unknowingly.
5. **Crush or grind the seeds to use in recipes or to store.** Simply remove the seeds from the bruised pod and place them in a mortar and pestle, crushing them into a fine powder. You can also use a spice grinder, or a coffee grinder, though you should make sure it is clean to avoid mixing other flavors in as well.
You should keep ground cardamom in a cool, dry place in a tightly closed container. To check if it is still usable, pinch a little bit between your fingers and smell it. If it's lost its potency and smells weak, discard it and get fresh cardamom.
6. **Substitute a pinch of ground cardamom in the recipe if you do not have pods.** Ground cardamom has a strong, pungent, and concentrated flavor, so be careful not to overdo it. 1/4-1/8 of a teaspoon should be plenty for a recipe that call for 2-3 pods of  fresh cardamom.
7. **Make Arab coffee by brewing with a cardamom pod.** While cardamom is a typically Indian, it is also the "secret" ingredient in Turkish or Arab coffee. It is served to guests as a sign of hospitality and is easy as tossing a bruised cardamom pod in with the grounds when you brew your coffee.
8. **Know that there are a lot of "imitation" cardamoms.** Black cardamom is actually a different plant, with a mildly antiseptic flavor that makes it ill suited for deserts or sweetening. There are also Thai Cardamoms, Java cardamoms, etc. When purchasing, stick to basic "cardamom," or "green cardamom," to make sure you're getting the real deal.
9. **Add 1-2 bruised pods to your next curry.** As an essential ingredient in Indian cuisine, you can't go wrong with a light hint of cardamom in your curry. Simply add 1-2 bruised pods as the sauce simmers. You then remove them before serving the final dish.
10. **Use cardamom to ease digestive pains.** Simply "brew" the 2-3 pods in hot water with a little sugar. While there is no scientific consensus yet on the effectiveness, cardamom has long been used to treat stomach and intestinal pain, as well as heart burn.
11. **Chew cardamom seeds as a breath freshener.** Used since the ancient Egyptians to clean teeth an freshen breath, remove a few of the black seeds from the bruised pod and use them to get your mouth tingly fresh.
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