Crisping its way to desi souls, the air fryer is getting popular for effortless Indian khana
Chef Rakhee Vaswani conducts classes to remove the mental block on using an air fryer and making a variety of dishes in it. Pic/Shadab Khan
Last year, we met chef Vikas Khanna at the launch of the dual air fryer by Bergner; he was gracious enough to tell us why all the interest in air fryers suddenly. “People have realised that you can do more in an air fryer than just frying samosas and pakoras,” he laughed.
One of the most misunderstood kitchen equipment of recent times, the air fryer, functions as a small oven where hot air is used to cook food at high temperatures, resulting in dishes that look identical to if they were fried. It removes the stigma of unhealthy foods, mess, and oil wastage, making snacks more accessible and convenient for busy bees.
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From simple day-to-day meals to appetisers, mains and desserts for a feast, there’s a lot more that you can make in an air fryer. Chef Rakhee Vaswani has used one since it was first introduced in the country nearly a decade ago. Her Instagram handle is full of bread, cakes, cobblers, grills, tikkas, bhakarwadis, and muthias made in her trusty gadget. She conducts demo classes for people to remove the mental block on how to use one and to make just about anything in it.
“All you have to do is understand the technology, and the results will be foolproof,” she says. “Even your best batters will go to waste if you can’t handle the temperatures of an oven—this is similar. While most people use it only to fry samosas and other deep-fried stuff, there are many things you can make in it.”
Some people are dismissive of making anything else in it, thinking food gets dry, or the meat becomes tough. But Vaswani defends the air fryer, saying, “It works like a convection oven but with more heat, which means your regular baking time of 20 minutes comes down to 12 to 15 minutes. Simple trial and error, and it’s your best friend for life.”
Like many others, Khar-based Tanvi Shah of The Millenial Kitchen switched to the air fryer to crisp anything without deep frying it. “The first few dishes I made were samosas, French fries, and nuggets; I still air fry them,” she says. “For some dishes, a major hiccup was to keep the shape intact without having to deep fry it. A few trials later, I learnt that pan-searing it first before letting it cook completely in the air fryer helps. Things got easier and more dishes got added to our air-fried list,” she adds. Next task was figuring the duration of cooking, which is second nature due to practice. Her favourite is millet tortilla, air-fried that can be had solo or paired with a main.
Thandai cheesecake
Ingredients
50 gm digestive biscuits
27 gm ghee
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
30 gm fresh cream
85 gm cream cheese
75 gm condensed milk
1 tbsp custard powder
1/4 tsp thandai powder
Pistachio flakes rose petals and gold leaf for garnish
For saffron crème
50 gm whipped cream
A few saffron strands
20 ml milk
Method
Crush the biscuits and mix them with cardamom powder and ghee.
Put a spoonful of the mixture into three-inch-deep metal containers and press down to make base. Chill for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk together cream, condensed milk, cream cheese, custard powder and thandai powder to make cheesecake batter. Pour the batter on to the chilled base.
Preheat the air fryer for five minutes at 130°c. Bake in a water bath at 120°c for 15 minutes. Remove it from the air fryer and cool it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Make saffron crème by heating milk with saffron to release colour and aroma. Fold in whipped cream and pipe on the thandai cheesecake. Finish decoration by sprinkling chopped nuts, and rose petals.
Chicken tikka biryani
Ingredients
125 gm rice
250 ml water
Salt as required
120 gm chicken thigh boneless
1 tbsp red chilli paste
1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cashew paste
1 tbsp fried onion
1 1/2 tsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves
2 pods star anise
1/2-inch stick of cinnamon
4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 tbsp whipped curd
1 tsp ghee
1 1/2 tsp tomato puree
1/4 tsp saffron soaked in
2 tbsp milk
1 cup water (for cooking)
Water for steam cooking
Method
Place soaked rice in water in a handi, add salt, cover it with an aluminium foil, and poke holes with a skewer. Cook in a pre-heated air fryer for about 25 minutes at 200°c. Mix the chicken with masalas, whipped curd and water. Grease the inside of the handi with ghee, add chicken and air fry for about 20 minutes at 200°c, then at 180°c for five to seven minutes until the fat separates. In the same handi, layer the cooked rice with the chicken, drizzle saffron milk, fried onions, coriander and mint leaves, and a dollop of ghee. Cover with foil and poke holes. Add more water if required to the base for steam and further give dum for 10 minutes at 180°c
Chef’s tips
For fried onion, place sliced onions on foil and air fry till golden brown by spraying oil.
When using an earthen handi, place in a shallow plate with water so that it doesn’t crack with the heat.
Cooking in an earthen pot takes longer than cooking directly in a foil cup or parchment paper, but works best if the dish has gravy that needs cooking.
Paneer galouti kebab
Ingredients
1 cup paneer
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped French beans
1/2 cup roasted jowar flour
1/4 tsp MSG
1.5 tsp biryani masala powder
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania-jeera powder
1 tsp freshly grated garlic
10 ml olive oil
Tanvi Shah mastered air frying healthy Indian food with practice. Pic/Sameer Markande
Method
Saute paneer, carrot and French beans in 3 ml of oil. Add the masalas, MSG, garlic, salt, and blend in a food processor without any water. In another bowl, mix together the roasted jowar flour, veggies and paneer mix. Knead together a tight dough without using water. Divide into eight medium parts to form cutlets. Lace them with olive oil and air fry for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Serve with cilantro chutney.
Millet tortilla
Ingredients
1/3 cup sorghum
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp pomegranate powder
1/2 tsp salt
7 ml olive oil
40 ml water
Few coriander leaves
Method
Mix flour, salt, and pomegranate seed powder together. Then add onion and cilantro, and bind together with 3.5 ml oil. One can add some chopped green chilli if you like, and shape six small tortillas by hand. Use the remaining oil to lace the parchment paper and lay the tortillas on them, and roast for 10 minutes at 150 °c.
Chef’s tip
Make crispy gluten-free tortilla with a side of veggies and protein by leaving the tortillas at 120°c in the air fryer for extra six minutes to let it crisp further.
Tanvi Shah
Tips and Tricks
>> Use a baking pan (metal or silicone) to prevent food particles from falling into the bottom of the air fryer or line with parchment paper. This helps save on cleaning.
>> Shake the fryer basket or flip the food halfway through the cooking time to ensure it is cooked evenly and all the way through.
>> Preheat the air fryer with healthy cooking oil or non-stick cooking spray to eliminate the risk of food being undercooked or sticking to the fryer basket.
>> Clean after each use to prevent burn and smoke from leftover food particles as it can affect your dish’s taste.
>> An aluminium foil sling can help you put a low-sided pan into the fryer basket as well as remove the pan once cooking is done.
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