Go Back
+ servings
Picking up a bunch of golden yellow salted ducks egg yolk popcorn.
Print Recipe
5 from 38 votes

Asian Salted Egg Yolk Popcorn

Loaded with umami, you won't be able to stop snacking on this salted egg popcorn! Chilli and curry leaves are optional but they do add complexity to the popcorn and make it better!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Chinese, singaporean, Southeast Asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 329kcal
Author: Zen

Equipment

  • Pot or steamer to cook the eggs
  • fork and bowl to mash the yolks
  • frying pan or wok
  • heat proof spatula

Ingredients

  • 6 salted egg yolks Steamed or hard boiled till cooked (about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the eggs), then mashed finely to avoid clumps in the sauce. If you're extra finicky, sieve the sauce after cooking for the finest possible sauce!
  • 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter Works out to be 3.5 oz/ 100g. Don't use salted butter as we don't know how salty the egg yolks are (it varies from batch to batch.)
  • 2-3 sprigs curry leaf optional and feel free to add more if you want! These are usually not eaten (like bay leaves.)
  • 1 chilli padi optional, substitute with big chilli or a pinch of chilli powder if you want some spice but not too much. Always remove the seeds if you can't take the heat!
  • 2 teaspoon sugar Or, to taste. The sugar is crucial to balance the saltiness of the egg yolks and bring out the flavour to its fullest so do not skip it! Taste and, if necessary, add more. (Different brands of salted duck eggs have varying levels of saltiness. Homemade ones also taste different depending on how many days the eggs are left in the brine, so will require slightly different amount of sugar to balance the salt. Some may even require you to add a pinch of salt to the sauce, but always taste first to see if this is necessary!)
  • Pinch Salt Often, this is unnecessary, so taste first before adding!
  • 5-6 cups cooked popcorn Click here for tips on how to make your own popcorn on an induction stove Use about 3 tablespoons of corn kernels to get approximately 6 cups of popcorn.

Instructions

  • Cook the eggs, preferably by steaming. Alternatively, you can also hard boil for about 10 minutes.
    Note: if steaming, you can separate the egg white and yolk before steaming! This way you won't waste any previous yolk! (If you separate after cooking, they you usually end up with whites in the yolks or yolks in the whites!)
  • If boiling, peel and separate the yolks from the whites. Mash the egg yolks finely with a fork till they resemble breadcrumbs.
  • Using medium-low heat, melt the butter then add the curry leaf sprigs and stir fry till fragrant. Add the chilli, if using and give the sauce another stir. (Do not allow the butter to brown.)
  • Add the mashed yolks and stir till you see the sauce frothing up- this ensures that the sauce will be nice and thick.
    If you need a visual guide, scroll up to the Step-by-Step Instructions where I've shown a photo of the frothy, foamy, creamy sauce.
  • Add the sugar and stir. (Alternatively, if you want the sugar to form a light crunchy layer on the popcorn, add the sugar at the end of the entire process!)
  • Taste and, if necessary, add salt, stir then remove the pan from the heat (and switch off the fire).
  • Allow the sauce to cool.
  • Once cool, pour over the popcorn and stir till well-mixed.

Notes

Don't touch your eyes after handling chilies with your bare hands (it'll burn)
Storage: this salted egg popcorn would taste best eaten immediately after cooking. If you've made too much, store in the fridge. The best way to make this in advance would be to keep the popcorn and sauce separate then combine right before eating (so that the popcorn doesn't become soft.)
For what to do with the egg whites, see the FAQ section above.
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its accuracy.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 344mg | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1173IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg