With popular popcorn flavours being taxed, try out these other easy versions

Representation pic

Who would have thought that a humble movie snack would blow up into a national debate and become such a hot topic of discussion? Cinephiles are up in arms on social media as they debate hotly on the intricacies of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) placed on salted and caramel popcorn, flooding our feeds with some interesting reactions.

"Popcorn has always been a go-to snack for movies. It is an iconic part of any theatre experience or even parties. Even though there are so many options these days, I think nothing can beat a simple tub of salted and caramel popcorn," Lokhandwala-based home chef Mahek Mandlik tells us. To make things easy, we asked her to share two easy recipes of these popular variations for you to enjoy from the comfort of your home, without burning a hole in your pocket.

Caramel popcorn

INGREDIENTS
>> 10 cups popped corn
>> Salt (to taste)
>> 1 cup butter (sweet cream salted)
>> 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
>> 2 tsp vanilla extract
>> 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

METHOD

Add salt to the popcorn once the kernels are popped. In a saucepan, melt one cup of butter over low or medium heat. Ensure that the flame is just hot enough to melt the butter without burning it. To the pan, add one cup of light brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar and the butter are mixed. Keep stirring till the mix is thoroughly combined, and then increase the heat to medium-low to bring the caramel mixture to a low boil. When the caramel begins to bubble, add two teaspoons of vanilla to the mix and half teaspoon of baking soda, and stir again. This will cause the caramel to change colours and foam up slightly, making it easier to coat the popcorn. Now, take the caramel mixture off the heat and drizzle it over the popcorn. Use a spoon to gently fold the popcorn with the mixture. Pour the popcorn out onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or an aluminium foil. Cool before serving.

Italian salted popcorn

INGREDIENTS
>> 100 gms popcorn kernels
>> 50 gms salted butter
>> 2 tsp garlic powder
>> 2 tsp Italian seasoning
>> 2 tsp parmesan cheese

METHOD
Heat a pan. Pour popcorn kernels into the saucepan, so that they spread out easily in a single layer. Put the lid on, and wait for the kernels to pop. Give the pan a shake every so often, to prevent kernels from getting stuck to the bottom or burnt. Once the kernels begin to pop, wait for 3 seconds before you take the pan off the heat. Remove the lid and scoop out the fluffy popped popcorn into a bowl, leaving out the unpopped kernels (they are often a small amount).

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. When it begins to sizzle, pour it over the popcorn and toss well with garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese. Ensure that the popcorn is coated thoroughly. As an alternative, you can also add chilli powder, cayenne, cumin powder and salt for a spicier mix.

Recipes courtesy: Mahek Mandlik