Black cardamom is a popular Indian spice, called badi elaichi or kali elaichi, that is used in many of the cuisine's signature dishes.
 
It is in the form of seed pods, which are dark brown to black in color and take on a smokey flavor due to the way they are dried. Cardamom is used for its bold and assertive taste and is the world's third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron. Both the pods and the seeds are used in cooking and available year-round.