Heat the milk to just below boiling and add cardamom seeds. Allow to sit for as long as possible.
Preheat oven to 180ºC
Pour the entire contents of the tin of pears into a large rectangular casserole dish. Cut up the pears into chunks.
Add egg and butter to the milk. Beat well.
Combine flour, salt, sugar, cream of tartar and the bicarb together in a large bowl.
Pour the milk mixture through a sieve into the dry ingredients to catch the cardamom seeds. Discard the seeds.
Beat all the ingredients well with a whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter over the pears and syrup.
Bake for 40 to 45 Minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm with cream or ice cream. Custard tastes great over this too.