This device has been gaining a lot of popularity in the culinary world. It’s an appliance that can deep fry things with very little to no oil. If you are from the South Asian subcontinent, you may have already guessed what this device is – it’s called an Air Fryer! I received it for my Birthday and it’s been sitting in my appliance closet staring at me with those puppy eyes, wanting me to give it some attention. So, I decided to put this thing to test and made some Pakora, a popular appetizer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. While the rest of the world calls these Fritters. If you have been to an Indian, Pakistani, Afghani or Nepali buffet, you know what I am talking about. And I hope you are thrilled to know, you can make this at home in an Air Fryer, without exposing yourself to the risk of burning or having to consume one too many of those deviously delicious deep fried goodies. I am betting this is the healthiest version of Pakora you can find anywhere. With New Year’s Eve around the corner, hosting parties and finger foods is all we can think about. Come January 2017, we all will want to re-evaluate (regret in my case) our eating habits of 2016, and attempt to create a healthier version of ourselves. So, folks who love to eat clean but possess a dirty mind, this recipe is to your rescue.
Before you get all excited, I think I’d like to let you know a thing or two about making these Pakoras in the Air Fryer. First, just stick to 1 variety of vegetable. Whether it’s cauliflower, broccoli, potato or onion. I ran short of cauliflower so I decided to throw some diced onions in and ended up burning them in the first batch. Well… I learned from my mistakes and want to save you all from the same. Although, if you are all about taking chances and would like to use onion along with another vegetable, please be sure to keep a close eye on it. They burn faster than you blink.
- • Cauliflower — 1 lb. (500 grams), cut in half inch florets
- • Greek yogurt or plain yogurt — 3 tablespoons
- • Garbanzo flour (chickpea flour/besan) — 3 tablespoons
- • Ground turmeric — 1/2 teaspoon
- • Ground cumin (optional) — 1/2 teaspoon
- • Ground coriander (optional) — 1/2 teaspoon
- • Ground paprika (optional) — 1/4 to ½ teaspoon
- • Salt — 1/2 teaspoon
- • Water — 1 to 2 tablespoons
- First step would be to chop the cauliflower into 1/2 inch florets and thoroughly wash them.
To thoroughly wash the cauliflower and to ensure it's free of any pests or insects, soak the florets in a large bowl of water for 30 minutes. Then rinse it a couple of times. - Now, transfer the florets on to a kitchen towel and pat it dry to remove the excess moisture.
- Next step would be to make the marinade for the cauliflower. In a large mixing bowl, add the yogurt, garbanzo flour, spices, salt and whisk it to a smooth paste.
Depending on the yogurt you use, your marinade may turn out to be pasty or dough like. If its dough like, add the water. One tablespoon at a time. The idea is to have the marinade look like a thick paste (almost like honey). - Add the florets into the marinade. Be sure to coat every floret with the marinade. Let it marinate in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the cauliflower marinates, you can preheat your air fryer to a 390 F (200 C).
- Now about adding the cauliflower into the Air Fryer - the cauliflower will be cooked in two batches. Make sure to divide the mixture into 2 batches and gently add them in little clusters onto the Air Fryer pan/basket.
- Now, insert the basket into the Air Fryer and set the timer for 10 minutes. Half way through, give the basket a quick shake and insert it for the rest of the time. They are supposed to look crispy and golden.
If for some reason, you feel like the cauliflower may need a little more cooking, keep them in for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve them hot with some ketchup or chutney of your choice.
- • Spices: If you do not have the spices mentioned in the ingredients and would like to replace it with some curry powder/ or just keep it simple with some garlic and onion powder, that should do. The measurements would remain the same (half teaspoon)
