Arabic & Levantine Pantry Guide
What is cardamom (hel)? Green pods and powder in Arabic cooking
Green cardamom (known as hel in the Levant and Gulf, and habahan in Egypt) is an aromatic spice pod filled with tiny black seeds that smell bright, citrusy and warm. It is the signature scent of Arabic coffee and tea, and a staple in meat broths, kabsa rice and date maamoul.
Whole cardamom pods vs ground cardamom
Inside each pale green cardamom pod sit clusters of dark, sticky seeds rich in volatile essential oils; the papery outer husk acts as a natural seal that locks the aroma inside. Cooks lightly bruise whole pods with the flat of a knife or in a mortar just before dropping them into a teapot, a pot of chicken or lamb stock, or a pan of basmati rice for kabsa and biryani. Finely ground cardamom is stirred directly into Arabic coffee blends, seven-spice and shawarma seasonings, and the spiced date paste used for Eid maamoul and kleija cookies.
How cardamom is used from morning coffee to dinner
In Arab homes, cardamom is present throughout the day. In the morning and when guests visit, it perfumes both golden Gulf gahwa in the dallah and dark Levantine coffee brewed in a rakweh, as well as pots of loose black tea. At lunch and dinner, two or three cracked pods simmer alongside bay leaves and cinnamon sticks whenever poultry or lamb is boiled, giving clean, fragrant stock for freekeh, mulukhiya and maqluba.
