Recipes, tips and tricks to use air fryer to cook delicious Indian khana

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 ldquoPeople have realised that you can do more in an air fryer than just frying samosas and pakorasrdquo he laughedOne 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 beesFrom simple daytoday meals to appetisers mains and desserts for a feast therersquos 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 itldquoAll you have to do is understand the technology and the results will be foolproofrdquo she says ldquoEven your best batters will go to waste if you canrsquot handle the temperatures of an ovenmdashthis is similar While most people use it only to fry samosas and other deepfried stuff there are many things you can make in itrdquoSome 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 ldquoIt 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 itrsquos your best friend for liferdquoLike many others Kharbased Tanvi Shah of The Millenial Kitchen switched to the air fryer to crisp anything without deep frying it ldquoThe first few dishes I made were samosas French fries and nuggets I still air fry themrdquo she says ldquoFor some dishes a major hiccup was to keep the shape intact without having to deep fry it A few trials later I learnt that pansearing it first before letting it cook completely in the air fryer helps Things got easier and more dishes got added to our airfried listrdquo she adds Next task was figuring the duration of cooking which is second nature due to practice Her favourite is millet tortilla airfried that can be had solo or paired with a mainThandai cheesecakeIngredients50 gm digestive biscuits27 gm ghee18 tsp cardamom powder30 gm fresh cream85 gm cream cheese75 gm condensed milk1 tbsp custard powder14 tsp thandai powderPistachio flakes rose petals and gold leaf for garnishFor saffron cregraveme50 gm whipped creamA few saffron strands20 ml milkMethodCrush the biscuits and mix them with cardamom powder and gheePut a spoonful of the mixture into threeinchdeep metal containers and press down to make base Chill for 15 minutesIn 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 basePreheat the air fryer for five minutes at 130degc Bake in a water bath at 120degc for 15 minutes Remove it from the air fryer and cool it in the fridge for 30 minutes Make saffron cregraveme 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 petalsChicken tikka biryaniIngredients125 gm rice250 ml waterSalt as required120 gm chicken thigh boneless1 tbsp red chilli paste12 tbsp ginger garlic paste1 tsp cashew paste1 tbsp fried onion1 12 tsp chopped coriander12 tsp chopped mint leaves2 pods star anise12inch stick of cinnamon4 black peppercorns1 bay leaf4 tbsp whipped curd1 tsp ghee1 12 tsp tomato puree14 tsp saffron soaked in2 tbsp milk1 cup water for cookingWater for steam cookingMethodPlace soaked rice in water in a handi add salt cover it with an aluminium foil and poke holes with a skewer Cook in a preheated air fryer for about 25 minutes at 200degc 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 200degc then at 180degc 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 180degcChefrsquos tipsFor fried onion place sliced onions on foil and air fry till golden brown by spraying oilWhen using an earthen handi place in a shallow plate with water so that it doesnrsquot crack with the heatCooking 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 cookingPaneer galouti kebabIngredients1 cup paneer12 cup chopped carrots12 cup chopped French beans12 cup roasted jowar flour14 tsp MSG15 tsp biryani masala powder15 tsp salt12 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp dhaniajeera powder1 tsp freshly grated garlic10 ml olive oilTanvi Shah mastered air frying healthy Indian food with practice PicSameer MarkandeMethodSaute 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 chutneyMillet tortillaIngredients13 cup sorghum1 tbsp chopped onion1 tsp pomegranate powder12 tsp salt7 ml olive oil40 ml waterFew coriander leavesMethodMix flour salt and pomegranate seed powder together Then add onion and cilantro and bind together with 35 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 degcChefrsquos tipMake crispy glutenfree tortilla with a side of veggies and protein by leaving the tortillas at 120degc in the air fryer for extra six minutes to let it crisp furtherTanvi ShahTips and Tricksgtgt thinspUse 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 cleaninggtgt thinspShake the fryer basket or flip the food halfway through the cooking time to ensure it is cooked evenly and all the way throughgtgt thinspPreheat the air fryer with healthy cooking oil or nonstick cooking spray to eliminate the risk of food being undercooked or sticking to the fryer basketgtgt thinspClean after each use to prevent burn and smoke from leftover food particles as it can affect your dishrsquos tastegtgt thinspAn aluminium foil sling can help you put a lowsided pan into the fryer basket as well as remove the pan once cooking is done