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Dinner with Rukmini
Browse all of the recipes in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks by ingredient.
Sticky Spiced Popcorn with Dates, Caramel and Sea Salt
Introduction from Rukmini Iyer
This popcorn is inspired by my friend Danielle’s version of Saliha Mahmood Ahmed’s recipe – an addictive mix of spiced, salty popcorn studded with sticky medjool dates and caramel. Tim and I have been known to eat a trayful instead of dinner – but if you’re up for sharing it’s fantastic to make for friends too.
Ingredients
Essential kit
You will need: a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
Method
Tip the butter, chaat masala, chilli powder and sea salt flakes into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Scrape the butter out into a large bowl (a silicon spatula is brilliant for this) and then use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe the pan out thoroughly.
Add the oil and popping corn to the same pan and cover tightly with the lid. Place over a medium heat until you start to hear the popcorn ‘pop’, then lower the heat and let it continue to pop for a further 5–6 minutes until the popping becomes very infrequent/stops. (Avoid opening the lid to check before then, or you risk being hit by hot flying popcorn.)
Meanwhile, add the sugar and water to a small, very clean frying pan and place over a medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and let the sugar syrup come to the boil – when it starts bubbling furiously and darkens to a light amber, turn off the heat.
Tip the hot, cooked popcorn into the bowl with the melted spiced butter and use a spoon to thoroughly coat it. Add the chopped dates – don’t worry that they will have clumped together, you’ll fix this shortly – and, when the caramel is ready, pour that in too and mix thoroughly. Tip the popcorn out into a large roasting tin and use a spoon to evenly distribute the dates around the popcorn. Scatter generously with sea salt, leave it to set for 5–6 minutes and then dive in.
Preview
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From the book
India Express: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
75 recipes inspired by the vibrant flavours of South India and Bengal
Speedy and fuss-free recipes for maximum flavour in return for minimum effort
Trademark traybakes, as well as stir-fries, snacks, weeknight curries, and simple desserts
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