Cardamom Sugar: A Small Jar That Fixes Many Desserts

Cardamom sugar is sugar flavoured with cardamom, nothing more complicated than that. It takes five minutes to make, keeps for weeks, and makes plain toast or a bowl of curd taste like more effort went into it than actually did. It's also one of the easiest ways to use cardamom if you don't bake much.

Method 1: ground cardamom sugar (quick, strong)

• ½ cup sugar
• Seeds from 10 to 12 cardamom pods

1. Put the seeds and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into a small, dry mixie jar.
2. Grind to a fine powder. The sugar keeps the seeds from clumping.
3. Stir this into the rest of the sugar.
4. Store in a small, airtight glass jar.

Best used within a few weeks, while the cardamom is still strong.

Method 2: infused cardamom sugar (gentler, lasts longer)

• 1 cup sugar
• 8 to 10 whole cardamom pods, lightly cracked

1. Put the sugar and cracked pods in an airtight jar.
2. Close it and shake.
3. Leave for a week, shaking now and then, while the sugar picks up the smell.
4. Top up with more sugar as you use it, and swap the pods for fresh ones after a month or so.

What to do with it

• Chai and coffee: sweetens and flavours in the same spoon.
• Buttered toast: sprinkle it on while the toast is hot. Simple, and better than it sounds.
• Fruit: over sliced mango, banana, papaya or strawberries.
• Curd: a spoonful with a few nuts on top.
• Dosa, appam, pancakes: with a little ghee. Kids tend to like this one a lot.
• Payasam and kheer: use it in place of plain sugar.
• Baking: in cookies and cakes, or as a topping on muffins before they go in the oven.
• Whipped cream: sweeten with this instead of plain sugar.
• Lemonade: a cardamom-lemon sherbet on a hot afternoon.

A few variations

• Swap in jaggery powder for a deeper, caramel note.
• Add a little dry ginger if it's headed for payasam.
• A few saffron strands for festive sweets.

It's a good use for a fresh pack of Idukki cardamom. For grinding tips, see our cardamom powder guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does cardamom sugar keep?

The infused version keeps its smell for a couple of months in a sealed jar. The ground version is stronger to begin with but fades faster, so it's best finished within 3 to 4 weeks.

Can I use green cardamom pods that are a bit old?

Yes, they'll still work, just crack one open and check the seeds smell like something before you commit a whole batch of sugar to them. Weak seeds will only give you weak sugar.