Today I have the perfect Friday recipe for you.
Perfect because it involves you, your microwave, and 2.5 minutes of your time. (Or however long it takes your microwave to pop popcorn… and not a SECOND longer, because as any kid who’s made microwave popcorn after school knows, the hardest part is not burning it to a black, stinking crisp.) Anyway, assuming you can handle that part (not gonna lie, it usually takes me two tries), this recipe then involves you, your couch, and a movie for the next 2.5 hours.
The popcorn? It won’t last that long. You might have to take 2.5 more minutes to make a second batch. (Or a third batch if you burnt one of the first two…)
I “tested” this recipe when the craving struck at about 10:30 PM on Saturday night. Anything for a blog recipe, you know? I just haaaad to.
I posted another DIY microwave popcorn recipe on the blog back in 2012, but assuming you’re newer here, this is the deal: It turns out that microwave popcorn is actually incredibly easy to make on your own at home. You just need some lunch-sized brown paper bags, popcorn kernels, and whatever flavorings you like. Scoop the popcorn kernels (no more than 1/4 cup!) into the bag and fold the very top of the bag down once or twice. If you have a stapler and want to get fancy, you can staple the top after you’ve folded it. I don’t own a stapler, and it works just fine without it, too. Then place the bag on its side in your microwave and microwave until there is a second or two between pops. It’s just as convenient as unwrapping the plastic off a bag of pre-packaged microwave popcorn, but no need for the fake butter and other chemicals. It’s like magic!
When you can take out chemicals and replace them with curry, I would say that’s pretty much always a win.
I love fun popcorn flavors, and I got the inspiration for this recipe – if you can even call it that! – from a brand of popcorn they sell at Whole Foods. I actually can’t remember the brand name – oops! – but I’m sure you’ve seen it if you shop there. A friend brought some of their truffle rosemary popcorn to a party on Saturday night, and we were discussing all their different flavors. So of course I had to make more popcorn immediately upon walking in my door… of course.
And yes, I am an old person and leave parties at 10:30. I bet you’re not surprised. I am, after all, the girl telling you that watching a movie with this popcorn is going to be the most exciting thing about your weekend. That is me projecting my old lady-ness onto you.
But let’s get back to the popcorn. This yummy curry popcorn. It is incredibly simple to make, as I mentioned above, and once it’s all popped, you drizzle on some oil, sprinkle with salt and curry powder, and you’re good to go. If you’re lucky, you can make it so quickly that no one else will notice, and you can hog the whole bowl to yourself.
I didn’t measure the curry powder for this recipe, because it is much easier to distribute it evenly when you can shake it right from the spice jar. I gave a good sprinkle of curry and then tossed the popcorn, rinsed and repeated about 5 times. Use your best judgment and add the amount of curry that tastes good to you!
Any recommendations on which movie I should have on in the background as I focus on eating this popcorn this weekend?
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 Tbsp safflower oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Indian yellow curry powder to taste*
- brown paper lunch bag
- Pour popcorn kernels into the paper bag. Fold the top of the bag over twice so that it stays closed. (You can staple the top shut, but it's not necessary.) Place the bag on its side in your microwave and microwave for 1.5 to 2.5 minutes (this will vary greatly from microwave to microwave!), until there is a second or so between pops.
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl. Drizzle oil over the popcorn and toss to coat. Sprinkle the kosher salt and curry powder over the top, and toss again. Continue sprinkling with curry powder and tossing until your desired level of spice is reached. Enjoy!
THANK YOU! I have this whole bag of popcorn in my pantry from an ill-fated wok-popped popcorn recipe…this technique/recipe will definitely help me use it up.
Plus, my fiance hates curry. This is a great way to keep him from stealing my popcorn :)
HAH yes, this is the perfect way to keep it to yourself :) you can blame me!
Wow! I just ran out to the kitchen to try this method and it’s works. Yea! I topped mine with truffle salt. Thanks! You’ve made snacking popcorn so easy.
This sounds awesome!! I have had a popcorn craving for so long now and this will hit the spot for sure. Definitely having a movie and popcorn night on my couch tonight!!!
you and me both! :)
I’m an old lady and leave parties early too. There’s just too much cooking to be done! ;)
I love the tip for making your own popcorn and a curry version sounds delicious. I’d recommend watching Dallas Buyers Club, if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s not the happiest of movies, but the acting is phenomenal.
thanks for the suggestion! dallas buyers club was first on my list anyway, so now it is definitely happening :)
I LOVE topping my popcorn with curry powder! It is AWESOME, especially with some nooch added on there too!
i will have to give that a try!
I’m going to try this method! Michael and I are currently obsessed with making Sriracha popcorn so maybe we’ll try to work curry into the rotation.
yay :) how do you guys make your sriracha popcorn? i made it once and it turned out kind of… soggy.
Oh i love this idea! We’re big popcorn fans over here and constantly mixing in extras like zaatar and parmesan.. up next, curry!