There is a curry recipe I am following right now and it says i need black cardamon. I live in an area that is a little difficult to buy all the indian spices.
My local market only sell ground cardamon (I don't know what colour) and green cardamon.
If you are curious, I live in Hamilton, Ontario.
Also, just another cultural question. When an indian recipe lists "curd" as a ingredient in curry, is that just regular greek yogurt?
I should also mention that the recipe is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrMoYBNnLmY&list=WL&index=11
She doesn't actually state if it is green or black, but I assumed it was black.
Best Answer
There is quite a difference in the tastes of black vs. green cardamom. In fact, they come from different but related species of plants.
Try asking your Indian grocery store for badi elaichi or badi welchi. It is the Hindi name for black cardamom.
Green cardamom has a minty flavor and is highly aromatic. It is also slightly sweet. It pairs well with spicy-sweet dishes as it enhances the taste. The ground cardamom in the store is probably green cardamom, because the powder is often used in recipes for masala chai (tea).
Black cardamon has a stronger flavor. It is more smoky (kind of like cinnamon - only kind of). It is best used in meat and savory dishes. So that's probably what the recipe uses.
As for Indian curd, also called dahi, it is closest to Greek yogurt in consistency and taste. However, dahi usually has a more tangy, sometimes sour taste. You may want to consider that while pairing up your dishes.