Spicy Lowfat Popcorn

I remember buying popcorn each time I went to Hollywood. No, not the one in California, but the shoe shop in Abids, Hyderabad! They had the best spicy popcorn I had ever tasted. Popcorn is a healthy alternative to chips and bhujias, and spices take the place of butter for enhancing flavor. So, if you have a craving for something spicy, there's no real need to get out the frying pan and make pakodi's... popcorn will suffice!




Ingredients:
Popping corn: 1 small cup (Makes about 16 cups of popped corn)
Olive oil: 4tbsp
Salt: 1tsp
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Pepper, ground: 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder (Amchur): 1 tsp (adds a zing)
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp (optional)
Sugar: 1/2 tsp (optional)

Method:
To a large skillet with lid, add 4tbsp oil. Cover and let heat on medium heat. Add one kernel of corn and cover. Wait for this to pop before adding the remaining corn. This allows the oil to get hot enough to pop the corn.
In a small plate, add all the dry ingredients. Mix well and keep handy.
Once the corn pops, add the remaining corn and let pop covered. Once the rate of popping slows down, remove lid and add all the spices, mix well and remove from flame. This has to be done very quickly in order to prevent the spices from burning.

Interesting fact about popcorn: it comes under the whole grain category!

Nutritional information:
Corn popped in less amounts of olive oil contains fewer calories from fat than corn popped in coconut oil (traditional method to oil-pop corn). Corn also naturally contains monounsaturated fats.
nutritional information per serving (1cup) of popped corn, popped in olive oil:
60 calories, out of which 33 calories are from fat (4grams)
Detailed calorific information on oil-popped popcorn is available at this link:
http//: www.nutritionresource.com/data.cfm?n=19035

Buying Olive oil:
Olive oil is best bought cold pressed or expeller pressed. Heat pressed olive oil loses many of its desired properties. Extra virgin olive oil means first pressed olive oil. This is the lowest in acidity and highest in purity. Olive oil loses many of its properties if refined, so avoid buying refined or natural olive oil.
The color of olive oil depends on the type of olives, and the ripeness of olives when harvested. When held up to light, a good extra virgin olive oil will have green undertones. Yellow undertones mean the olives were over-ripe when harvested, which means the oil is oxidized. Oil more than 1.5 years old should not be purchased.
Storing Olive oil:
Olive oil deteriorates when exposed to sun, light and air. Keep oil stored in dark containers away from heat. Also make sure you wipe oil around the neck of the bottle as this can spoil the taste of the remaining oil in the bottle. When properly stored, olive oil has a shelf life of 12 -18 months. Avoid storing olive oil in the refrigerator, as oil will thicken and congeal. However, if you do store it in the refrigerator, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes, and it will return to its normal texture.
Classification of Olive oils and what they mean:
Extra virgin and virgin olive oils are pressed using only physical means and do not use any chemicals. Extra virgin olive oil has an acidity of less than 0.8% (Acidity depends on the presence of certain important fatty acids) and it is the first pressed olive oil. Virgin olive oil has an acidity of less than 2%. There is no refined oil in both extra Virgin and virgin olive oil.
Olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. It has a maximum acidity of 1%. Refined olive oil is oil that has been treated with chemicals to neutralize the strong taste and also neutralize the acidity. It is considered to be a lower grade than virgin and extra virgin olive oils.
Olive-pomace oil: This is oil that has been extracted from the pomace (remnant of olive paste after extraction of oils by centrifuging) using chemical solvents. It may contain a small amount of olive oil, but does not have the properties of olive oil. It is fit for consumption but cannot be called olive oil.
Lampante oil: This is olive oil not fit for consumption.