Air-Fryer Indian Recipes195 recipes

Every recipe in this collection is built to come out of an air fryer or a hot oven, not a kadhai of bubbling oil. Indian snacking has always leaned on the deep-fryer — samosas, pakoras, tikkis, kebabs — and the air fryer is the first piece of kitchen tech that genuinely replaces it: the same blistered, crackling exterior from a tablespoon of oil instead of a litre.

We develop these dishes air-fryer-first, which changes the recipe, not just the equipment. Batters get thicker so they cling without a fryer's surface tension. Tikkas get a light oil mist and a hotter, shorter blast to char the edges before the paneer or veg dries out. Roasted-spice coatings are dialled up because dry heat is less forgiving than oil. Where it helps, we give the oven temperature and rack position too, so you're covered whether or not you own an air fryer.

The pay-off is the obvious one — a fraction of the fat — but also a practical one: no oil to heat, strain, and dispose of, no splatter, and snacks you can make on a Tuesday without feeling like you deep-fried dinner. Browse the lot below; each recipe carries full macros so you can see exactly what the no-fry version saves you.