2 Sep 2007, ST
By Chris Tan
Q I love to make popcorn at home. Can you teach me some other method of flavouring it other than using just sugar or salt? For example, making it with chocolate or peanut would be good, or honey instead of sugar for a healthier choice.
Mabel Ho
A There are three elements to flavoured popcorn: the popped kernels, the seasoning and the binding ingredient that helps the latter coat and stick to the former.
The binder is usually butter or oil, or cooking spray for those who are calorie-conscious.
My preferred method for stovetop popped corn is to start it off in a small amount of oil that has a high smoke point (as corn gets very hot before it pops), like sunflower or canola.
Once the kernels have popped, I transfer them to a bowl and toss them with more butter or oil, and the seasoning ingredients.
If you add the seasoning to the raw corn before popping, it may scorch in the heat and taste burnt or odd.
As for flavours, you're limited only by the available variety of powdered seasoning agents - which is to say, if you spend some time browsing in a place like Mustafa Centre, not that limited.
By Chris Tan
Q I love to make popcorn at home. Can you teach me some other method of flavouring it other than using just sugar or salt? For example, making it with chocolate or peanut would be good, or honey instead of sugar for a healthier choice.
Mabel Ho
A There are three elements to flavoured popcorn: the popped kernels, the seasoning and the binding ingredient that helps the latter coat and stick to the former.
The binder is usually butter or oil, or cooking spray for those who are calorie-conscious.
My preferred method for stovetop popped corn is to start it off in a small amount of oil that has a high smoke point (as corn gets very hot before it pops), like sunflower or canola.
Once the kernels have popped, I transfer them to a bowl and toss them with more butter or oil, and the seasoning ingredients.
If you add the seasoning to the raw corn before popping, it may scorch in the heat and taste burnt or odd.
As for flavours, you're limited only by the available variety of powdered seasoning agents - which is to say, if you spend some time browsing in a place like Mustafa Centre, not that limited.
POP STARS: (Clockwise from top left) Popcorn tossed with sesame oil, icing sugar and ground black sesame seeds; grapeseed oil and matcha powder; and olive oil and sweet paprika. -- ST PHOTOS: CHRIS TAN
For savoury flavours, look for garlic powder, onion powder, single or blended dried herbs and ground spices, and so on.
Most of these go well with a binder of olive or good butter or you could use fried-shallot oil or sesame oil.
And don't forget furikake, the Japanese mixes normally sprinkled over hot rice or dry sambal like sambal haebi (dried shrimp) or sambal lengkong.
For sweet popcorn, there are single or blended sweet spices - Mustafa has chai masala and 'milk masala' blends that should work well - cocoa powder, matcha (green tea) powder, and flavoured sugars.
Make the latter by whizzing sugar in a blender with ingredients like vanilla beans, dried lavender flowers or rosebuds, toasted coconut, grated citrus zest, instant coffee powder and so on, until everything is ground fine.
Some seasonings suit both sweet and savoury popcorn, such as ground sesame seeds and finely ground roasted nuts.
Boost their flavour by using a compatible oil as a binder like sesame oil or walnut oil.
Honey is a tricky flavour because its thick stickiness makes it hard to mix evenly with the popcorn.
Try melting it with butter, tossing the syrup with the popped kernels, then baking them briefly in a moderate oven to set the coating slightly.
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