Monica Bhide’s Curried Popcorn and a few answers

While gadget week is behind me, my post on savory garlic popcorn needs some further attention. To clarify, three cloves of garlic produce a mild topping. If you don’t mind being socially unacceptable, crank the volume to 10 and have mints on hand. However, if you have an aversion to allium sativum the answer to Francesca’s question might do the trick. She asks,”Would curry powder work?”

I’m not a fan of curry powder and turned to an expert for help. Monica Bhide, author of The Everything Indian Cookbook, surprised me with her answer. I expected her to chastise me for even suggesting this commercial mix, but instead she said, “Curry powder works perfectly well! I add it when I heat the oil so that it flavors the oil.”

I set aside my skepticism. After all, this lady knows her stuff. She owns her own cooking school, has rubbed elbows with some of the world’s best chefs and has been featured in Bon Appetit. She also teaches the amazing food writing course I just completed, which lead to several new recipes, an inch on my thighs and an essay in The Globe and Mail. So when she suggests one of the simplest popcorn toppings imaginable, I try it.

How simple is her curry solution? Bhide says, “I heat the oil, then add my spices (curry powder, a touch of salt and whatever else). Then add the corn kernels, cover and shake the pot frequently until the popping stops.” No drizzling required.

Simple, yes, but does it work? Out of curiosity, I tried a second batch with my favourite homemade garam masala. Alas, it wasn’t as good for popcorn as ordinary-schmordinary curry powder. Who knew? Monica Bhide, who really does know Everything Indian.

* Note: For my curried popcorn (pictured at top), I used 1 tablespoon of standard commercial curry powder, a pinch of salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. If you like it hotter, try some cayenne.