Air Fried Tandoori Tofu Chops

Do you remember our posts on 'Evolution of the Kitchen Gadgets'? Just like humans, even kitchen gadgets go through evolution. They get better with time and easier to use. 

We recently acquired an Air Fryer to reduce the amount of oil used to 'fry' or make our favorite dishes. Who wouldn't want to make restaurant-quality food at home? Below is one of our favorite Tandoori Tofu appetizers with our new kitchen toy. 

We hope you like it as much as we do. This appetizer is easy to make and requires few ingredients. 

Ingredients

• 6 oz Extra Firm Tofu
• 2 Tbsp Tandoori paste
• 3 Tbsp thick yogurt
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• Few sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)

Procedure

1) Drain the water from the yogurt tub and dab the tofu block gently patting it down on a towel. Place the block on a small towel or paper towel and microwave it for 45 seconds to 1 minute (based on your microwave wattage) and dab the oozed water again. Cut the tofu into 1" cubes. 

2) In a bowl, add tandoori paste, yogurt, and oil. Mix well. Add the cubes into the bowl and gently toss the cubes to be coated with the paste. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours. 

3) Line the Air Fryer tray with parchment paper and transfer the marinated tofu cubes onto the parchment paper and align them in a single row, not touching each other. 

4) Set the Air Fryer temperature to 325°F and timer for 20 minutes. Insert the tray and air-fry for the set time. When done, transfer them into a serving tray and sprinkle some chopped coriander. 

Quick Tips

1. We made it in an air fryer that is a combo (toaster and air fryer). If using a standalone air fryer, adjust the temperature and time accordingly.

Garam, Garam Air Fried Samosas by Meagan

We love working with guest bloggers and readers who enjoy Indian cuisine as much as we do.

Meagan is a self-taught chef that has worked in many different types of professional kitchens. Growing up with traditional American Southern food, she didn’t really know about food from other cultures. She ate mostly unhealthy, fried, salty foods. When she was an adult, she got a job at a bagel shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Learning how to make omelets, assorted cream cheeses, and making the perfect latte catapulted her into the food industry. She found she was very interested in cooking and started working towards growing her skills and knowledge in the kitchen. It has been 11 years, and she continues her journey of learning as much as she can about food, flavor, and cultures around the world. Indian food is one of her many favorites!

Meagan has tried samosas at restaurants, but this was her first time making them herself! She tries to keep her food relatively healthy most of the time. Her air fryer saves her from having a kitchen that smells like frying oil, so she uses it whenever she can.  

We hope you enjoy Meagan's Samosas made using the air fryer.

Ingredients for the Samosa Dough

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup avocado oil*
• ¼ tsp black cumin, toasted
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp water

Ingredients for Potato Filling

• 2 medium potatoes
• ¼ cup peas (blanched)
• ½ tsp ghee
• ½ Tbsp ginger, minced
• Pinch of asafoetida
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cumin, ground
• ¼ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped

You will also need

Extra oil for rolling dough Pastry Brush & Rolling Pin Water for sealing samosas

Procedure 1) Boil potatoes until just done; so, a fork can go through. Crumble potatoes and set aside. Add ghee, ginger, and spices to a pan until it sizzles, saute for about 30 seconds, stirring, add peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add mixture to potatoes along with vinegar and stir well. Set aside to cool. 2) Mix together flour ingredients, except water. Rub the flour well for a few minutes to mix the oil in well. The dough should be able to hold shape and not crumble when it is ready to add water. Mix in the water a little at a time to make a stiff dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. 3) Knead the dough to smooth, cut into three pieces, and roll into balls. Cover remaining dough while rolling out each piece. Oil the rolling area and flatten a ball, drizzle oil on ball. Roll ball into an oval shape about 8 x 6 inches. Cut into two parts, this will be two samosas.

4) Take one part and add water over the straight edge, joining edges to make a cone. Press down carefully to seal the cone from the inside also.

5) Add cilantro to potato filling and mix well.

6) Fill the cone with potato masala and gently push filling inside the cone. Brush water on both remaining edges bring together, and seal, pinching the edges together. Cover to keep from drying while working on the others.

7) Once finished, turn on the air fryer to 350. Brush or spray samosas generously with avocado oil. Bake in the air fryer for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

Quick Tips

-  If avocado oil is not readily available, you can use substituted with ghee or canola oil. 
- If baking in the oven, turn on the oven about 10 minutes prior to forming samosas.

We thank Meagan for sharing her love of Indian cooking with us. Like these vegetarian Samosas, follow Meagan: on Twitter and on YouTube.