Black Cardamom (Masale Veldode / Badi Elaichi) – Ayurvedic Medicinal Information (English)

 🌿 Black Cardamom (Masale Veldode / Badi Elaichi) – Ayurvedic Medicinal Information (English)

🔶 Black Cardamom (Cardamom) – Basic Information of Medicine

🔹 General Introduction

Marathi Name : Veldode, Velchi / Mothhe Veldode (Black Cardamom)

Hindi Name : Badi Elaichi, Kali Elaichi / Bhoori Elaichi

English Name : Black Cardamom / Greater Cardamom / Indian Cardamom

Sanskrit Names : Sthūlailā, Brihadailā, Bhadrilā, Divyagandhā, Nishkuti etc.

Botanical (Scientific) Name : Amomum subulatum Roxb.

Family : Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)

🔸 Detailed Explanation

Cardamom is mainly available in two types:

1. Elettaria cardamomum – Green / Small Cardamom

2. Amomum subulatum – Black Cardamom / Large or Dark Cardamom

🌱 Plant Structure (Botanical Description)

🌿 Morphological Details

Family Group : Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)

Plant Type : Evergreen, perennial, herbaceous plant

🌿 Stem / Root

The plant has an underground stem known as a rhizome.

This rhizome is thick, fleshy, and well-developed.

New leaves and flowers grow from this rhizome.

🌿 Leaves

Leaves are long, green, linear-lanceolate (spear-shaped).

🌸 Flowers

Flowers are small, light green or yellowish in color.

Sometimes they show white or violet shades.

🌰 Fruit / Seeds

Fruits develop in the form of pods.

Pods are generally triangular in shape with three sides.

Each pod contains several dark brown to black seeds.

These seeds are used as a spice and for medicinal purposes.

🔍 Comparison

Compared to Green Cardamom (Elettaria),

Black Cardamom (Amomum) pods are larger, darker, and have a strong smoky, camphor-like aroma and taste.

🌾 Life Information (Habitat / Growth / Cultivation)

🌱 Natural Habitat

Western Ghats, Indian Himalayas, Sri Lanka, and other tropical regions.

☀️ Required Conditions

Warm and humid climate

Light, fertile, slightly moist soil

Shaded areas with balanced humidity

🌿 Growth and Production

New shoots emerge from the rhizome

Pods develop after flowering

Pods are dried before use

Traditionally, pods are dried using fire/smoke to enhance aroma

🔸 Cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world.

India, Nepal, Bhutan, and neighboring countries have high demand for it.

🍛 Uses

✨ Culinary Uses

Used in curries, vegetables, pulao, biryani, and spice blends

In some regions, it is also added to tea or masala tea

🔥 Properties

Bitter and pungent in taste

Increases body heat

🌿 Ayurvedic Medicinal Properties (Traditional Uses)

• If there is a problem of gas in the stomach, eat 8–10 seeds of spice cardamom after meals and drink warm water. This helps relieve gas and indigestion.

• If there is heart disease or difficulty in breathing, chewing cardamom half an hour after meals helps the condition gradually improve.

• If there is a cancer problem, taking 1–2 pinches of cardamom seed powder in warm water one hour after meals regularly helps cancer cells begin to function normally.

• If impotence is increasing in men or there is difficulty during sexual intercourse, taking 2–3 teaspoons of cardamom seed powder with warm water in the morning and evening is beneficial.

• If sleep does not come and the head feels heavy, grinding large cardamom like sandalwood and applying it as a paste on the head gives relief.lll

• If body heat increases or if excessive heat in the blood causes boils, abscesses, or pus on the body, chew 8–10 seeds before meals in the morning and evening. The boils burst and the pus drains out or they subside and heal. Relief is obtained and the blood is purified.

• Applying oil prepared by cooking cardamom and its seed powder in coconut oil on body boils helps remove impurities and supports blood purification.

• If there are boils or ulcers inside the mouth, taking powder of large cardamom seeds with warm water provides relief.

• If there is toothache, boiling large cardamom seed powder in warm water and gargling with it helps reduce tooth pain and assists in removing decay from infected teeth.

• If there is bad breath, eating cardamom is beneficial. It removes unpleasant odor.

• If hiccups occur, boil spice cardamom in one cup of hot water until it reduces to half a cup. Add jaggery and consume it for relief.

• If food poisoning occurs due to eating hot and cold foods together, crush large cardamom and boil it in hot water. Let the water cool, add rock sugar, and drink it to restore proper digestion.

• If there is a urinary tract infection, difficulty or burning during urination, fill water in a copper vessel at night and add cardamom seed powder to it. Keep it overnight. Drink this water in the morning after waking up. It helps cleanse the urinary tract, reduces burning, and aids in eliminating infection.

• If there is nocturnal emission (spermatorrhea), adding cardamom seed powder to a glass of water and drinking it with rock sugar is beneficial.

• In case of fever, taking 1–2 pinches of cardamom seed powder repeatedly with rock sugar water helps reduce fever. Germs are expelled through urine and stool, assisting in lowering the fever.

🌰 Useful Parts of the Plant

Fruit / Pod – main spice component

Seeds – used for aroma, taste, and medicinal purposes

⚠️ Precautions

When using as medicine, dosage should be decided according to body constitution and only after consulting an Ayurvedic expert.

Individuals suffering from excessive Pitta dosha or pitta-related lumps should avoid black cardamom or consume it only under medical supervision.

🌿 Conclusion

This is the complete Ayurvedic medicinal information of Black Cardamom (Masale Veldode / Badi Elaichi) presented without omitting any details.