Asian Games Party Popcorn

With Asian Games buzz in the air, many of us have made a plan for tonight’s special celebration. I made these 3 ways savoury popcorns for the Asian Games opening ceremony. Each of these popcorn has unique taste inspired by Japanese, Indonesia and Thailand flavour. 

Asian Games Party Popcorn

Shichimi Togarashi Popcorn with Crispy Ramen

Shichimi togarashi usually added to soups and noodles, it is also used for snacks and rice cakes. Mixtures can vary but it usually contains ground chilli, orange peel, sesame, Sancho pepper, ground ginger and nori flakes.

Ingredients

• 100g popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon shichimi togarashi
• 1 package ramen noodles, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• a pinch of sea salt

Cooking direction

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles on a baking sheet. Bake noodles for about 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden. Remove and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan with a lid, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, swirl the pan to cover the kernels with the oil. Cover the pan with the lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the popping slows, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and wait until the popping sounds have stopped before removing the lid.
3. Transfer the popcorn and crispy ramen noodles to a large wide bowl. Drizzle with sesame oil, and immediately toss with half of shichimi togarashi and salt until all the popcorn coated. Add the remaining salt and shichimi togarashi and toss again until well coated.

Andaliman Pepper & Fried Shallot Popcorn with Crispy Rice

Andaliman is a spice commonly used in Northern Sumatran highlands and also other Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Laos and Vietnam. It has slight lemony notes with a tingling, numbing sensation in the mouth. If you can’t find Andaliman, just replace it with Sichuan peppercorn.

Ingredients

• 100g popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup rice crackers

Andaliman & shallots salt

• 2 dried chillies
• 1 tablespoon dried andaliman pepper
• 2 tablespoons fried shallots
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Method

1. Andaliman & shallots salt: crush the dried chillies, andaliman pepper, fried shallots and salt using mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan with a lid, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, swirl the pan to cover the kernels with the oil. Cover the pan with the lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the popping slows, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and wait until the popping sounds have stopped before removing the lid.
3. Transfer the popcorn and crispy rice crackers to a large wide bowl and immediately toss with andaliman and shallot salt until all the popcorn is well coated.

Chilli-Lime Popcorn with Crispy Thai Basil

Ingredients

• 100g popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• a handful of fresh basil
• roasted peanuts or almonds

Chilli-lime infused oil

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 small garlic, finely chopped
• 3 green chillies, finely chopped
• lime zest from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Method

1. Chilli-lime infused oil: heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, green chillies and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant and the garlic just begins to colour. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice to stop it cooking further. Stir in the lemon zest and cover to keep warm.
2. In a large saucepan with a lid, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, swirl the pan to cover the kernels with the oil. Cover the pan with the lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the popping slows, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and wait until the popping sounds have stopped before removing the lid.
3. Pour the popcorn and roasted nuts into a large bowl. Pour half of the infused oil and toss until all the popcorn coated. Add the remaining infused oil and toss again until well coated. Add crispy basil, season with flaky sea salt and serve.