Spread the sugar in a casserole dish and bake for 10-15 minutes, until it just starts to brown and become fragrant. Remove and let cool. Transfer to a jar or otherwise sealed container.
Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the sugar. Tuck the bean inside the jar.
Crush the cardamom pods lightly breaking open. Add the the jar.
Seal, and let sit as long as you can. The longer it sits, the more flavor and aroma you’ll get. Open every few days, taste and let sit more if necessary.