Restaurant-Style Air Fryer Chicken 65 is a must-try chicken starter in my book! It's crispy and spicy on the outside while being delightfully succulent inside. This healthier twist on the classic Indian appetizer is irresistibly delicious - watch it gobbled up before your eyes in no time! Chicken 65 - the story behind its name […]
The post Crispy Air Fryer Chicken 65 appeared first on Simple Indian Meals.
Love Indian samosas but hate deep-frying? Try this air fryer samosa recipe. With a crispy exterior and a delicious spiced potato filling, this air fried vegetable samosa recipe tastes and looks just like the deep-fried ones.
The classic samosa is triangular in shape and consists of a flaky pastry filled with a savory stuffing – often containing potatoes, peas, and spices, although meat may be included.
The pastry is then deep-fried in oil, drained, and served to hungry customers. It’s a popular street food with many variations based on the region it is made.
Apart from India and other countries in Southeast Asia, it is popular in North and East Africa, many Arab countries, Portugal, and Brazil, although it is known by various names.
While most Indians believe Samosa (pronounced suh·mo·suh) originated from India, shockingly, it is not. Its roots have been traced back to the Persians all the way to the 9th or 10th century when it was referred to as sanbusaj .
Some references in old Arab cookery books also call these minced meat-filled triangles sanbusak, sanbusaq, and sanbusaj (all derived from the Persian word sanbosag). These snacks were carried by merchants when they ventured out for trading.
Eventually, as these merchants traveled to Southeast Asia, the samosas made their way into India, then known as samsas, named because of their pyramid-like shape.
They became popular in India during the 13th or 14th century thanks to the chefs in the royal kitchens in Delhi. These chefs, who originally came from the Middle East and Central Asia, made samosas containing meat, ghee, onions, and other ingredients.
As the food traveled across India, the original became more of a guiding post as each region added its own special touches. As a result, the classic Indian samosas have become incredibly diverse.
The quintessential samosa, sometimes called potato samosa or vegetable samosa contains a spiced stuffing filled with potatoes and green peas. It’s wrapped in a dough made from all-purpose flour mixed with butter or ghee and deep-fried until crispy. This form is a traditional Indian style and is the most popular worldwide.
If you want to learn more, check out this fascinating article on the history of samosa.
You may know samosa by some of its alternative names and, of course, variations, including:
Having grown up in Mumbai (Bombay), I have probably consumed samosas every single week of my life. They were made fresh by street food vendors whose stalls you could find at every corner of the city and, of course, the college cafeterias.
Those piping-hot vegetable samosas were definitely hard to miss and even harder to resist.
When paired with hot masala chai, these roadside snacks tasted just divine.
I always wanted to make samosa at home, but to be honest, deep-frying is not my thing. I hate the mess it causes, and then I have to deal with a large vat of oil.
Having been obsessed with my air fryer lately, I thought this would be a good recipe to adapt. It just took a little bit of tinkering with the temperature, and I was able to nail the recipe.
The result was a crispy samosa with a flaky crust and a delicious savory potato filling without deep-frying. How satisfying!
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe and air fry samosas! These homemade samosas will be much healthier and tastier than the ones you find in Indian restaurants in the US.
You’ll need an air fryer to make this recipe. Here are the two that I recommend
Other equipment/tools
Full instructions are included in the recipe card, but here is the summarized version of how to fold the pastry for veggie samosas:
TIPS
The best way to savor these delicious samosas is with chutneys. Here are my favorite ones.
Don’t have the chutneys handy? Serve it with ketchup instead.
Yes, you can make frozen samosa in an air fryer, although the temperature and time depend on the particular brand and size. For Haldiram frozen cocktail or mini samosas (you can find them in Indian grocery stores), air fry at 400ºF for 10 minutes.
It is best to leave the samosas frozen and add them to the air fryer straight from the freezer. This will give them the best chance to crisp up and have a similar texture to that of deep-fried samosas.
If you want to keep your samosas crispy, brush ghee or oil on the outside before air frying. This small amount of oil will help them to crisp. Once they are done, keep them in the open air, and do not store them in a covered container until completely cooled. Any condensation will prevent them from staying crispy.
Yes. Samosas will reheat much better in an air fryer compared to a microwave. Just add them to an air fryer that has been preheated to 350ºF and cook them for 2-4 minutes or until crisp. Serve with your favorite chutney.
If your samosas are not crispy, it may mean that the fat (ghee) was not incorporated into the dough properly and/or the dough was not stiff. Next time, work the dough until very stiff. Make sure to brush the outsides of your prepared samosas with ghee or oil.
Yes, you can use whole wheat flour to make the samosa dough. Just know that the samosas won’t be as flaky as those made with all-purpose flour.
Whole samosas: Fill the samosas but don’t air fry them. Place them on a baking sheet and flash-freeze them for about two hours. Transfer them to an air-tight container and freeze them for about a month. No need to thaw them before air frying.
Filling: Alternatively, you could make the filling, refrigerate it for 2-3 days or freeze them for a month.
Dough: The dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. Let it come to room temperature before rolling it.
If you have any leftover air-fried samosas, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. For the best quality and crispiest results, allow them to cool to room temperature before transferring them to the container. Any warmth will become condensation and cause them to become soggy.
When you’re ready to reheat, preheat your air fryer to 350ºF and cook them for 2-4 minutes or until crisp and heated through.
These air fryer samosas are one of my favorite appetizers to make. Here are a few more easy air fryer recipes for you to try :
The post Crispy Air Fryer Vegetable Samosa appeared first on Simmer to Slimmer.
This flaky and savory cheese paratha is perfect for any meal of the day and is kid-friendly, thanks to its cheesy flavor. Serve it with raita, pickle, tomato ketchup, or a delicious paneer curry for a complete meal.
If you’ve never had a traditional North Indian paratha, I promise you that you are in for a real treat. That’s because these flaky and buttery Indian flatbreads are a delicious, satisfying, and hearty option for just about any meal.
This easy cheese paratha recipe is an excellent stuffed paratha recipe for beginners. It is much easier to roll and cook a paratha stuffed with melty cheese when compared to something a little more difficult, like the potatoes in my aloo paratha recipe.
Not only do you get the flaky texture of a plain paratha, but you also have a melty and cheesy center that will win over the pickiest of eaters.
When served with some creamy raita or a delicious paneer curry this simple dish easily becomes a meal – perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And while these are best warm, my kids don’t mind taking the leftovers in their lunch.
Cheese paratha, simply put, is a whole wheat bread stuffed with spiced cheese filling. The stuffing is made with mozzarella cheese for a delicious, stretchy center, but you can substitute half of the cheese for cheddar cheese or make my drool-worthy recipe for paneer paratha.
The paratha dough is made with whole wheat flour, then rolled and filled with cheese stuffing. The dough is then folded around the stuffing and rolled again. The rolled paratha is then shallow fried in ghee in a hot tawa or frying pan till golden brown spots appear. Talk about delicious!
Alternate names: In restaurant menus, you may find this paratha listed as chili cheese paratha or onion cheese paratha.
For the Dough:
For the Cheese Stuffing:
You’ll need the following equipment to make parathas
TIPS
Note: Don’t forget to turn your exhaust fan on when making parathas, or else your smoke alarm may go off.
The dough stays in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Frozen for a month. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out the parathas.
You can make the cheese stuffing (don’t add the onions) up to 3 days in advance. You can chop onions and store them separately.
Refrigerator – You can store your parathas for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For best results, store them in an airtight container and between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking (optional).
Freezer – These will keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months. Separate them with parchment paper when freezing, or they’ll stick together.
Reheat – For refrigerated parathas, reheat in a microwave (15-20 seconds) or reheat in a tava / skillet kept over medium heat. If parathas are frozen, use a tava/skillet to reheat for best results.
These delicious and flaky cheese parathas can be eaten on their own or served with raitas, yogurt, or pickle. They also pair very well with paneer curries. Here are a few of my favorites:
Love parathas? Here’s a collection of some of favorite easy to make parathas with loads of tips so you get perfect results every time!
The post Stuffed Cheese paratha appeared first on Simmer to Slimmer.
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