Elaichi
The Hindi and Urdu word for cardamom, the small green pod prized across South Asia and the Gulf.
Also: ilaichi, elakkai, green cardamom, choti elaichi
Elaichi is the everyday name for green cardamom, the dried fruit of Elettaria cardamomum. Each pod holds small black seeds that smell of eucalyptus, citrus and sweet resin. In Indian kitchens it flavours chai, rice dishes such as biryani and pulao, milk sweets and kheer, and it is often chewed whole as a breath freshener after a meal. Scandinavian bakers use it as heavily as Indians do, in buns and breads. Pods are usually sold whole because the seeds lose their aroma quickly once ground. Guatemala and India are the largest producers, and Kerala's Idukki hills are the classic growing country. The name carries into Tamil and Malayalam as elakkai.