Cook Smartly with Air Fryers: 4 Vegetarian and 4 Non-Vegetarian Best Air Fryer Recipes for Your Viewing Pleasure!

Cook Smartly with Air Fryers: 4 Vegetarian and 4 Non-Vegetarian Best Air Fryer Recipes for Your Viewing Pleasure!

If you are looking for healthy fried food that is decadent, delicious, and crispy without an ounce of oil, air fryer is your friend. Air fried food takes little to no oil and gives you a hearty and satisfying meal. Here are some simple air fryer meal recipes to try out, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.

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Benefits of Air Fryers

They are Considered to be the Safer and the Healthier Choice

Air fryers are built by using the latest technology and have a lot of benefits as well. For instance, they use a great piece of technology that is safer than deep fryers. These use the advanced exhaust system, which helps prevent the warming up of the fryer. When the fryer gets too much heated up, the exhaust system is triggered and it removes the excess heat from within.

These are also extremely healthy, as they do not require much oil to cook the food. Instead, they require just a few drops of oil that help prevent obesity and also prevent various heart diseases. All these things add up to a healthier as well as longer life.

They Help With Weight Loss and Can Help Cut Fat Content

Another benefit of air fryers is that the food cooked in them is lower in fat content as compared to the deep-fried foods. This helps to reduce calorie intake and promote weight loss. Air fryers also need less oil than traditional frying foods, giving them healthier than their oil-immersed counterparts.

In addition to all that, you can use olive oil instead of regular vegetable oil to cook your food in the air fryer. Various researches have also shown that olive oil has fewer calories and fat content as compared to other oils. Therefore, switching to an air fryer may be an easy way to cut calories.

Reduce the Formation of Harmful Compounds

Another great advantage of air-frying is the harmful substances that it prevents from being formed. For instance, when carbohydrate-rich foods are fried at a high-heat, a substance called acrylamide is formed. This particular substance is known to increase the risks of kidney, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. However, when you fry food in air fryers, the formation of this substance is reduced by about 90%.

Some other substances that form during deep-frying methods for carbohydrate-rich foods include aldehydes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic amines. These have similar effects to that of acrylamides and can be prevented by using air-fryers.

Best Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes

Indian Style Air Fryer Tandoori Gobi Recipe

Tandoori Gobhi is a very unique Indian dish with a tinge of different flavors and is also easy to make. The ingredients you will need to make this recipe are one medium cauliflower head, one cup greek yogurt, one tsp ginger garlic paste, one tsp red chili, one tsp garam masala, one tsp cumin powder, one and a half tsp turmeric, one tsp coriander powder, two tsp chat masala, two tsp chickpea flour, two tsp lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and oil.

Firstly, cut the cauliflower into small cubes and create a mixture for marination in a large bowl. Add oil, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, chat masala, chickpea flour, salt, and coriander powder. After this, add the cauliflower in this mixture and let it sit for forty minutes in the refrigerator. Next, brush the air fryer in the oil and then, working in batches, put the cauliflower cubes in a single layer or a skewer. Now, air fry at 360°F for 18 mins and flip the cubes gently with tongs after ten minutes and spray some oil. Check the cauliflower every fifteen minutes till it turns to a golden brown. Lastly, sprinkle some lemon juice and black pepper on it.

Indian Style Air Fryer Onion Pakoda Recipe

Indian Style Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi / Vegan Fried Okra Recipe is the most delicious appetizer you can have for lunch. The ingredients you will need to make this dish are two cups gram flour, one cup finely sliced onions, half tsp carom seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida, one tsp chili powder, half tsp turmeric powder, half cup water for the batter, 1/8 cup rice flour, two tsp oil, salt to taste, freshly chopped coriander, and green chilies.

Firstly, take an air fryer and preheat it at 200 degrees Celsius for about seven to ten minutes. Next, take a bowl, add in the onions, and all the dry spices. Gradually add water to make a thick batter and make sure to thickly coat every slice. After this, add one tsp of oil and again mix the batter. Once the fryer is heated, put small portions of the mixture in it and air fry them at 200 degrees Celsius for ten minutes. Flip the sides and cook each side for five to seven minutes. Wait, until they turn into a golden brown color. Serve them hot with green chutney.

Air Fryer Bombay Potatoes Recipe

Air Fryer Bombay Potatoes is an Indian dish that is popular for its flavorful taste. You can either serve it as a snack or lunch to school going kids. The ingredients required to make this recipe are baby potatoes, salt, turmeric, paprika powder, red chili powder, cayenne powder, grounded coriander, cumin powder, amchur, chaat masala, lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and oil.

To make this recipe, first cut the tomatoes into cubes or bite-size. Next, take some oil and salt and toss the potatoes in it. Now, take a fryer and put them in at 400°F for about ten to twelve minutes. After this, take a fork and check the potatoes. Make sure they are nearly cooked and tender. After that, place them in the bowl and coat them with all the dry ingredients. To make a nice smooth mixture you may also one tsp in the dry spices. Next, place them evenly in the fryer basket and cook at 400°F for about five minutes. Afterward, remove the basket and toss the cubes. Add them again and cook until potatoes from a golden crisp crust. Lastly, sprinkle some lemon juice and fresh cilantro on them.

Indian Style Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi / Vegan Fried Okra Recipe

Indian Style Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi / Vegan Fried Okra Recipe is full of nutrition and health. The ingredients you need to make this dish are two cup thin slices of ladyfinger, one tsp coriander powder, one tsp roasted cumin, half tsp ground black pepper, one tsp chili powder, half tsp black salt, half tsp garam masala, one tsp amchur powder, half tsp turmeric, half tsp carom seeds, a dash of salt, two tbsp gram flour, and two tbsp oil.

To make this recipe, cut the ladyfinger into thin slices. Next, take a bowl, add in gram flour and mix all the dry ingredients in it. After this, add some oil to make a thick batter and dip the okra slices in it. Coat all the slices in the mixture generously. Preheat the air fryer to 160-degree celsius for about seven minutes. Afterward, grease the air fryer and put okra slices in it. Air fry the okra for about eight minutes on 160 degrees temperature. Then, raise the temperature to 180 degrees and again fry it for nearly five minutes or till the bhindi become tender and crispy brown. Serve it with tomato ketchup and enjoy.

Best Non-Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes

Indian Style Air Fryer Chicken Tikka Kebab Recipe

Chicken Tikka Kebab is a flavorful dish with a spicy touch. The ingredients you will need are plain greek yogurt, crushed garlic and ginger, fresh lime juice, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, a dash of salt, dried fenugreek seeds, garam masala, boneless chicken cut into two-inch cubes, onions and bell pepper cut into 5mm cubes, chaat masala, and oil.

To make this dish, take a bowl, add in yogurt, lemon juice, crushed ginger and garlic, along with all other dry spices. Make a thick batter and add vegetables and chicken cubes in it. Coat them well in the marinade and refrigerate for half an hour. Next, take a skewer and put vegetables and chicken cubes on it. Set the temperature to 360°F for nearly eight minutes. After eight minutes, shift the veggies to the plate and keep them aside. Now, flip the chicken pieces and lightly grease tikka pieces with oil. Then, cook the chicken at 360F for another six minutes or until tender. Take it out and sprinkle fresh lemon juice and chaat masala to add additional flavors.

Air Fryer Salmon Recipe

In case you are looking for a tasty air fryer salmon dish, give this dish a try. The ingredients you will need to make this dish are salmon fillets, paprika powder, garlic, a dash of salt, grounded black pepper, and olive oil. First, cut the salmon fillets into thin even sizes and you may also remove the skin, but it is not essential to do.

Now, apply the garlic paste, paprika powder, salt, and black pepper on the fillets. After this, apply some olive oil on the salmon, rub it along with all the spices on the salmon, and let it sit in the refrigerator for thirty minutes. This will cause the fillets to absorbs all the flavors and provides an aroma. Afterward, put the salmon in the air fryer and cook it for seven to nine minutes or till the color changes. Lastly, sprinkle some chili flakes over the fillets and enjoy with a carrot salad.

Air Fryer Antipasto Egg Rolls

Air Fryer Antipasto Egg Rolls are yet delicious and easy to make. This dish does not contain an extra amount of carbs and is full of nutrition. To make this recipe the ingredients you will be needing are twelve egg roll wrappers, 12 slices provolone, thirty-six slices pepperoni, twelve slices deli ham, one cup of shredded mozzarella, one cup of finely sliced pepperoncini, half cup of freshly grated Parmesan, Italian dressing, and oil.

To make this recipe first, take an egg roll wrapper and put it on a clean board in a diamond shape. Next, put a slice of provolone on it followed by a slice of ham. After this, place three slices of pepperoni, a dash of pepperoncini, and the required amount of mozzarella. You may also apply the egg wash on the edges of the wrapper to fold it up. Afterward, fold the bottom half and fold in sides the way that the stuffing does not come out. Gently roll the wrapper and seal fold with a few drops of water. Then, set the temperature of the air fryer at 390° and cook the rolls for twelve minutes or until the color turns to light golden. You may also flip the sides to cook them properly.

Indian Style Air Fryer Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is one of the most famous South Asian dishes as it has a rich taste of flavors, a tinge of spices, and is neither too spicy nor too mild. The ingredients you will need to make this dish are two cups of paneer or cottage cheese cut into cubes or bite-size, half cup green bell pepper cut into 50mm cube pieces, half cup plain curd, one tsp ginger paste, one tsp garlic paste, two tsp red chili powder, half tsp dried kasuri methi, half tsp garam masala powder, two tsp freshly chopped coriander, two tsp chaat masala, salt to taste, and one tbsp oil.

To make this dish, take a bowl, add in curd, ginger-garlic paste, kasuri methi, chili powder, coriander powder, oil, a dash of salt, and mix it well to make a paste. After this, add the cubes of paneer and green pepper in the marinade and keep it in the refrigerator for about fifteen minutes. Next, take a skewer and put one paneer piece and one green pepper. Set the air fryer to 450 degrees and fry it for seven minutes. After seven minutes, flip the side and cook for an extra three minutes or until the color changes. Sprinkle some chaat masala, coriander leaves, and lemon juice before serving.

Disadvantages of Air Fryers

Low Capacity and Longer Cooking Times

Even though it has many benefits, there are some disadvantages of air fryers as well. For instance, they have a very low capacity. For this reason, if you usually cook food in large quantities, you are suggested to not buy air fryers. However, if you do not cook much food at a time, or do not mind cooking in batches of two or more, this may be the ideal choice for you.

Another disadvantage of air fryers is their longer cooking time. Now, you may think that this does not matter much, but, in actuality it does. These fryers take over double the time to cook something than the conventional fryers and are required to be warmed up the same way.

A Little Difficult to Clean and Can Also be Noisy

Another con of these air fryers is that they can get really noisy. This is so, because, the air fryers use the ventilator that sucks in the air to help air fry the food. The excess air is then exhausted out of it and all this process makes an extremely irritating and loud noise. For this reason, if you want a fryer that does not make noise, you are suggested against purchasing air fryers.

Other than the loud noise and low capacity as well as slow cooking, air fryers also are difficult to clean. This is so, because, unlike the conventional fryers, you need to clean these after every use or they won't work after just a few uses. For this reason, if you do not like cleaning, you should avoid buying these.

They Can Be a Little Expensive

Another negative point of the air fryers is their high-cost. Now, these cost way more than the conventional fryers as these use the latest technology. For this reason, if you do not have a huge budget, you should buy the traditional fryers rather than the latest air fryers.

Other than their high initial price, these also use electricity to run which can again be extremely expensive. This can also become a bad thing if the air you live in experiences a lot of load shedding. However, if this does not matter much to you, air fryers can be a great choice.

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From our editorial team

Mistakes You are Doing with Your Air Fryer!

An air fryer is no doubtedly a magical equipment in a modern kitchen. You can get fried food without the hassle of using oil. But you might actually be limiting your air fryer with these simple mistakes. Do not just use it for bagged frozen food. You are not saving too many calories there. Test your air fryer on your recipes. You can even bake a cookie or two. Another mistake you might be doing is by not preheating your air fryer. Preheating helps the food to cook more evenly. The final collosal mistake you are doing is by not cleaning the bottom tray. Clean the bottom tray and the basket with every use.