Elakkai is Tamil for Cardamom. It is a key spice in the Tamil cuisine used in a variety of dishes from curries to sweet treats. Growing up in a Tamil household, the sweet spicy smell of Cardamom always lingered in our kitchen. My mum would always have Cardamom pods in stock in the kitchen. On special occasions, she would make Cardamom infused milk tea....absolutely to die for!!! But too much of anything can only be bad haha...
So why did I decide to call my blog 'The Elakkai Project'? My bestie, Thulasi, started calling me Elakkai lately and not only does it sound very adorable, but every time I see/smell cardamom now, it reminds me of her :) So when I was looking for a name for my blog, Elakkai was the first name that came to mind.
Since I'm talking so much about Cardamom, here is a little background of the exotic spice.
Cardamom (Tamil: Elakkai) belongs to the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Even though this spice is native to India and Sri Lanka it is currently used world-wide in several cuisines, especially in Scandinavian baking. The pods can be used in whole, or the seeds can be extracted, ground and added to dishes for flavour. It is a very intense flavour so a little goes a long way!
Cardamom is used in curries, baked goods, tea, indian desserts, soups or any rice dishes to add a sweet/spicy flavour.
In addition, this super spice also has health benefits. It can be beneficial for digestive disorders or respiratory problems. My dad would always tell me how he used to chew on Elakkai to get rid of any bad breath when he was younger in Sri Lanka.
I'll be signing off now and make myself some nice Elakkai tea =)
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