Delicious Sri Lankan and Asian Air Fryer Recipes

Air fryers have already been around since 2010, and today they are as popular as ever. There are various reasons why more people are using these wonderful hot air multifunctional appliances for preparing their everyday meals. The main reason, of course, is the fact that air fryers use about 70 to 80 percent less oil for frying food as compared to traditional deep oil fryers. This means that every meal you make will have 70-80% fewer calories and much fewer harmful Trans fats in them. This means less weight gain, less fat intake, and a reduced risk of developing serious diseases including obesity, diabetes type II, heart problems, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and some forms of cancer.

Also, air fryers are very easy to use. They cook food faster and without the mess and smell associated with traditional cooking.

Here are some fabulous Sri Lankan and other Asian dishes you can prepare with a great air fryer.

Salted fried dry fish

This is a delicious meal from Sri Lanka that you can easily make at home with the help of your air fryer.

Ingredients:

• Dried sprats (Ikan Billis) or salted fish
• Garlic
• Onions
• Green chili
• Dry red chili
• Curry leaves
• Tomatoes
• A wedge of lime or lemon
• A few tablespoons of olive oil

How to prepare the meal:

1. Wash the fish or sprats thoroughly drain them and dry them with a kitchen towel
2. Lightly coat the fish with oil spray (half a tablespoon of oil)  and place it in the air fryer food basket
3. Air fry for about 12 minutes
4. Set the fried fish aside on a paper towel to drain any excess oil
5. Heat up a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil
6. Chop the garlic, onions, curry leaves, green chili, the dried red chili along with the chopped tomatoes
7. Fry them in the pan until they turn golden in color, and don’t forget to stir them periodically
8. Add the fried fish to the mix to the pan
9. Squeeze some lime or lemon on top for seasoning
10. The fish should be salty enough so no salt needs to be added
11. Cook the meal for a couple of minutes
12. Serve it hot
13. Enjoy!

Air fried tofu balls

These delicious Asian-style tofu balls can turn out perfect when fried in an air fryer. Prepared this way, they are only 140 calories for six tofu balls and a delicious source of healthy protein. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

A pack of ready-made tofu balls

How to make:

All you need to do is open a pack of tofu balls and simply place them in the food basket of your air fryer. No oil is needed for this dish!

In about 5 to 7 minutes they will be ready and perfectly crispy on the outside and delicious and succulent on the inside.

You can serve them with air-roasted broccoli, air-fried rice, or green curry noodles topped with ponzu, soy, or any other type of sauce.

You can eat them immediately after cooking, or reheat them in the air fryer if you are eating later.

Enjoy!

Fish cutlets – Sri Lankan style

These cutlets are so delicious that your family and friends will want you to keep making them over and over again. Here is the recipe for these spicy, tasty, and crispy fish cutlets with a soft inside.

Ingredients:

• Fish of your choice (you can use canned fish too)
• 1 onion
• 3 small green chilies or a couple of jalapenos
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 medium-sized potatoes
• 1 teaspoon of ginger paste
• The juice of a whole lime
• Eggs
• Breadcrumbs
• A few tablespoons of oil of your choice
• Salt and pepper

How to prepare the meal:

1. Peel and boil the potatoes and smash them once they are soft
2. Boil or steam the fish
3. Flake it once it’s done
4. Chop the challis, garlic and onion
5. Mix all and add the ginger paste and the lime juice with your hands
6. Season with salt and pepper
7. Shape the mixture into small meatball sized balls
8. Dip each ball in the egg and roll it in the breadcrumbs
9. Place them in the food basket of the air fryer
10. Ai fry the balls at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes
11. You can serve them with sweet chill sauce or ketchup
12. Enjoy!

Air fried Chicken Tandoori

If you love Tandoori chicken, you will love the air-fried version even more – because it is much healthier and less caloric and at the same time delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs
• ½ tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tablespoon of Garam masala powder
• ½ tablespoon of Chili paste
• 1 pinch of Kasuri methi powder
• ¼ tablespoon of cumin powder
• ¼ tablespoon of coriander powder
• The juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons of Hung curd

How to prepare the meal:

1. Gently make gashes on the skin of the chicken legs with a sharp knife
2. Add and mix all other ingredients in a bowl and add some salt
3. Coat the chicken legs in the mixture and let them rest for several hours
4. Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees for a couple of minutes
5. Arrange the chicken legs in the food basket and cook them at 200 degrees for 10 minutes
6. Then spray them or add half a tablespoon of oil to the chicken legs and cook them for another 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot
8. Enjoy!

I hope you like these delicious and very healthy recipes that you can prepare easily and very quickly in your air fryer!