There is no reason that you should be buying popcorn at inflated prices. But we don’t have a choice. The movie theatre is their domain, and we have to comply with their prices. We can smuggle our own inside, but I am not about that kind of life, nor do I recommend it. Instead, what I can do for you is tell you how to make it at 150 INR, nothing more, nothing less. For some weird reason, my induction stove didn’t work on these popcorn kernels, even though my pan is induction safe. So, I had to do some improv. Just be wary of this fact if you are doing this on an induction stove. SUGGESTION: The baking soda is optional; you don’t have to add it. It adds aeration which creates this sort of marbled effect with caramel, where it doesn’t completely coat it. Personally, I kind of like it where some bites have caramel, and others don’t. But it’s up to you. Adding it, makes it a bit fiddly to mix it evenly, but won’t trouble you in any major way. Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients
- 20 gms of Popcorn Kernels (I prefer the branded ones) [20 INR]
- 100 gms of Brown Sugar/White Sugar [12 INR]
- 30 gms of Butter [17 INR]
- (Optional) 5 gms of Baking soda [1 INR]
- 75 gms of Dark Chocolate [100 INR]
Procedure
- Heat a pan and pop the popcorn kernels. (Check the package instructions)
- Once that’s done, transfer them and, in the same pan, add your sugar. Slowly heat it up on low heat. Do not mix it until you see most of it melted and is starting to form a caramel.
- Once the colour of the caramel is golden brown, add the butter. Mix well and add the baking soda. Mix well again, and you should see some aeration. (There’s a lot of mixing in this recipe. Skip the arm workout for today.)
- Add the popcorn kernels to the caramel. Switch off the heat, and combine them, trying not to break the popcorn pieces. Be a bit quick because the caramel will start to set.
- Once it is mixed, transfer it to a tray lined with parchment/baking paper. Once it’s cooled enough to touch, separate the stuck popcorn pieces into individual ones and let them cool completely.
- Meanwhile, melt dark chocolate in the microwave in short durations of 10 seconds each. (If you don’t have a microwave, place a bowl over a saucepan/vessel of boiling water and melt the chocolate gently. Don’t let the boiling water touch the bowl!)
- In a separate bowl, add some popcorn, drizzle some chocolate, and mix them until evenly combined. Repeat the process until all of the popcorn is coated evenly in chocolate.
- Transfer them to the tray again and let it cool inside the fridge until firm.
1 thought on “Popcorn 150/-”
Homecooking as an antidote to exploitative capitalism or mindless consumerism is indeed a welcome idea!