Name: Cardamom & Mace Powder
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 Heaping tablespoon green cardamom pods; 3 large pieces of whole mace

Jump to Recipe

Cardamom and mace powder can be added to many different dishes as a flavour booster.

Cardamom and mace are both spices with distinct flavours and aromas, and they are often used in various cuisines to add depth and complexity to dishes.

When ground into powder, you can use cardamom and mace powder to flavour a wide range of sweet and savory dishes. Here's what you need to know about cardamom and mace powder:

Cardamom Powder:

Cardamom is a spice derived from the seeds of plants in the Elettaria and Amomum genera, which are native to India and Indonesia.

The flavour of cardamom is slightly sweet with hints of citrus and mint. You might also find that it has a warm, spicy and floral aroma. Cardamom powder can be light to dark brown on its own depending on whether you are using green or black cardamom.

You should try some of the seeds if you are unfamiliar with the flavour before making this cardamom and mace powder. You will be better able to know what the spice is adding to the dish you are cooking.

Mace Powder:

Mace is a spice made from the dried outer covering of the nutmeg seed. It is native to the Spice Islands of Indonesia but is now grown in various tropical regions.

Mace has a more delicate and subtly spicier flavour compared to nutmeg. It has a warm, sweet, and slightly nutty aroma. Just like cardamom above, you should try some on its own so that you know how it tastes.

Is cardamom and mace powder good for you?

Cardamom and mace powder has health benefits which include aiding digestion, freshening breath and both are a good source of antioxidants.

How is this powder used?

Cardamom and mace powders can be used to enhance the flavors of a variety of dishes. When using them, a little goes a long way, as they are both quite potent in terms of flavour. These spices are widely available in powdered form and are convenient for adding a burst of unique flavor to your culinary creations.

It is much more flavourful to make this cardamom and mace powder using fresh whole spices though.

How long with cardamom and mace powder last?

You should be able to store the ground spices in an air-tight container for about 3 months. That said, the flavours and aroma which be much stronger is ground the day you use this spice combo.

How to you roaste and grind this spice blend?

Cardamom pods have no flavour. It's the seeds that have all the flavour in cardamom so it's best to remove the seeds and then roast together with the mace.

Making cardamom and mace powder — Be sure to remove the seeds before roasting.

Yield: 3

Cardamom & Mace Powder

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 Heaping tablespoon green cardamom pods
3 large pieces of whole mace

Instructions

Remove the seeds from the green cardamom pods. You can discard the pods.
Then, heat the spices in a dry frying pan over a medium high until warm to the touch and fragrant but not yet smoking.
Remove from the heat and allow to coo a littlel.
Place in a spice grinder and grind until very fine.
Store in a cool, dark location in an air tight container for up to two weeks. You can store the spice blend for up to 3 months but it will be nowhere near as good as if you use it sooner.