I’ll be honest…most of the air-fried recipes I have tried feel like a compromise. Sure they are healthier and at times quite tasty, but don’t quite measure up to the deep-fried stuff aka ‘the real deal’ 🙂 So far, only once have I been completely blown away and it was with these paneer tikkas. And last week I had another wow moment with these fried idlis. A special treat for us as kids using leftover idlis, it was my favorite especially with ketchup.
Leftover idlis are never a problem in my house because I could eat them every day! And even if by a rare chance I am swimming in idlis, there’s always the freezer to hold the surplus. But a craving for something deep-fried on a recent dull and rainy day resulted in this. Opening the fridge to pull out some veggies for pakoras, I saw the idlis and remembred my childhood favorite. The air-fryer was brought up from the basement and in less than fifteen minutes, I was biting into the most delicious fried idlis. These were even better than the deep-fried ones …..perfectly crisp on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside.
The first batch I literally inhaled. They were that good. Then made another batch for the husband later in the evening. Then rushed to soak rice and dal for another batch of idlis just to make the fried ones again 🙂 On a whim, also made some homemade ketchup which was easy and way tastier than the one squeezed out of a bottle! Will post that recipe for very soon.
The second time around, I tossed the air-fried idlis in a seasoning of sambar powder, mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves…just to spice it up a bit. You could go a step further and fry some onions, tomatoes and cilantro in a little oil, add some sambar powder and these fried idlis and toss.
You can use any standard idli recipe to make these. I used this one but tend to vary the rice. Sometimes I use idli rava, sometimes brown rice and the last time, I made it with red rice. They will all taste delicious. This is a particularly good appetizer for parties. Convenient too because you can make the idlis a few days in advance and air-fry them a couple of hours before serving.
Air-fried Idli
Ingredients
- 8 idlis ( use any recipe or this one)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp canola, peanut or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sambar powder
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
Preheat the airfryer at 400 F for 3 mins.
Slice each idli into four and add to a large bowl.
Drizzle 1 tbsp oil over the cut idlis and toss. You can mix by hand or a spatula too but I find tossin gthe best to prevent crumbling.
Arrange the slices in a single layer in the airfryer basket and bake at 400 F for 6-8 minutes. There is no need to turn them over.
You can have these as is with some ketchup.
For a spicier version, heat the remaining tsp of oil in a slillet and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry leaves, stir and add the sambar powder.
Stir and immediately turn off the stove. Add the fried idlis and toss to coat evenly.
Serve hot with ketchup of a chutney of your choice.
