Crack open 10 of the cardamom pods with a pestle and mortar, place into a saucepan.
Add the milk and warm - do not boil.
Add 50g butter and set aside to cool until lukewarm.
Give the pan a swirl once in a while to encourage the butter to melt.
Put the flour, 75g of the sugar, yeast and 1 /2 tsp salt into a large bowl.
Mix until combined.
When the milk has cooled, strain it through a sieve into the flour, discarding the cardamom from the sieve.
Using a wooden spoon or dough hook on your mixer, mix to form a soft dough.
Knead for 10 mins until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs or until doubled in size.
Crack the remaining cardamom pods using a pestle and mortar.
Remove the pods keeping the seeds in the pestle and mortar.
Crush the seeds to a powder, then combine with 150g sugar.
In a bowl, mix the remaining butter with all but 2 tbsp of the cardamom sugar.
Line two baking trays with parchment.
Knock the air out of the dough, then roll to a rectangle roughly 35 x 45cm, with the longer edge facing you.
Spread the cardamom butter over the dough.
Fold the dough over into a third and then the other half over the top of the other side of pastry.
Cut into 12 equal strips, measuring about 3.5 x 11cm each.
Cut each strip down the centre, leaving it attached at the top.
Twist each strip then tie the dough in a knot and tuck the ends underneath the bun.
Put each on the tray when done.
Cover both trays leave somewhere warm to rise until almost doubled in size.
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
Bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown.
Add the remaining cardamom sugar into a pan and add 50ml water.
Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and put aside to cool.
Brush the syrup over the buns two or three times as they cool.