Wasabi popcorn with nori

Wasabi peas are not just for snacking on. Crush these nose-hair tingling bombs to a fine powder and you've got an instant textural garnish for salads, combine the powder with breadcrumbs for your next katsu, or do as we've done here: combine with icing sugar and use to toss popcorn in for a wasabi smackdown.

• makes

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  2 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 60 ml (¼ cup) canola or vegetable oil 
• 110 g (½ cup) popcorn kernels

Wasabi salt

• 25 g (¼ cup) wasabi peas
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• ¾ tsp icing sugar
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• 1 packet (3 g) seasoned seaweed sheets (see Note), thinly cut with scissors

Makes 10 cups

Read our tips on how not to screw up stovetop popcorn.

Instructions

To make the wasabi salt, place the wasabi peas in a small food processor or blender and blend until a fine powder. Combine with the ginger, icing sugar, salt and nori and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 3 or 4-litre saucepan (with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat until just before it smokes. Add a popcorn kernel to the oil to test if it is hot enough; if it spins, then the oil is ready (see Note).

Add all the popcorn kernels, swirl to cover the kernels with the oil, cover with the lid and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 1 minute 45 seconds or until the popping sounds have stopped.

Tip the popcorn in a large wide bowl, add half of the wasabi salt and toss until all the popcorn is well coated, then add the remaining mixture and toss again until coated.

Note

• Seasoned seaweed sheets are eaten as snacks in Asian culture. They come in small single-serve bags, from Asian supermarkets. You can also find them in the Asian aisle of larger supermarkets and grocers, including Harris Farm.

• The oil shouldn’t be smoking; if it is, remove from the heat until it stops smoking, then return to the heat.

Photography by Amanda McLauchlan, styling by Aimee Jones.

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.