Hotteok popcorn

This one-pot caramel popcorn is tossed with nuts and seeds while it's still hot. Once the sugar sets you're left with crunchy sweet-salty clusters. It's got the flavours from inside a Korean hotteok (stuffed pancake) on the outside of popcorn.

Credit: Camellia Aebischer

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Feel free to mix and match on the nuts and seeds, use whatever you have on hand just make sure they're in small pieces. Walnuts are a popular choice for hotteok. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon to the seed mix.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• ¼ cup popcorn kernels
• ¼ cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp crushed peanuts
• ½ tbsp pepitas
• ½ tbsp sunflower seeds

Cooling time: 5 minutes

Instructions

1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and three kernels of popcorn. Place a lid on the pot and wait for them to pop. Meanwhile, place the remaining kernels, sugar and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Once the kernels have popped, Add your sugar, salt and popcorn mix in an even layer. 
3. Cook for about five minutes. Use a tea towel to secure the lid and gently shake the pot from time to time. This will take a few minutes longer than regular popcorn as you want to keep the heat medium-low, or the sugar will burn.
4. Once there's about a 2-second space between pops, turn off the heat.
5. Carefully remove the lid and scatter your nut and seed mix over the popcorn then place the lid back on. Using a tea towel hold the lid tight and shake the pot gently to evenly coat.
6. Turn the popcorn out onto a baking tray and let cool for 5 minutes, until the caramel has hardened.

 

View more ridiculously tasty recipes from our Popcorn Cup collection to celebrate the World Cup.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Feel free to mix and match on the nuts and seeds, use whatever you have on hand just make sure they're in small pieces. Walnuts are a popular choice for hotteok. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon to the seed mix.