Air Fryer Curry: A Quick, Easy, Tasty Dish?

Air fryers are a convenient alternative to deep and shallow frying, but can you use them to make a curry? The answer is yes! Air fryer curries are not only possible, but they're also delicious and surprisingly easy to make. You can make a variety of curries in an air fryer, from chicken tikka masala to kidney bean curry, and they taste just like they were cooked in a hot pan. The best part? There's minimal mess to clean up afterwards.

Air fryer curry recipes

Air fryers are a great way to make curry, and you can make a variety of curries with this appliance. Here are some recipes you can try:

Chicken Curry

This recipe is packed with great flavours and is fun to make. You will need:

• 1/2-1 pound chicken, cubed
• 2 tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced or diced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus a little more for the chicken
• 1/3 teaspoon chilli powder
• Fresh coriander for topping

First, make the sauce by placing the tomatoes and onion in a small pan or an air fryer cake barrel. Roast them in the air fryer at 320°F/160°C for about 25 minutes, or until they are soft and charred. Then, add the garlic, ginger, butter, curry powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and chilli powder. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Puree everything with cream using an immersion blender or food processor.

Next, cook the chicken. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket, lightly spray with oil, and sprinkle with paprika. Cook at 380°F/190°C for 5-8 minutes or until cooked through. An instant-read food thermometer can be used to check if the chicken is done; it should reach an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.

Finally, combine the chicken with the sauce and warm it up in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes. This curry goes well with rice or naan.

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry

This recipe gets restaurant-quality results. You will need:

• Chicken
• Tikka masala sauce or paste
• Other ingredients as per your preference

You can sauté the chicken first in the air fryer basket, then add the sauce ingredients and let it finish cooking. You can also use a jar of curry sauce instead of making your own.

Kidney Bean Curry or 'Rajma'

This is an easy vegetarian curry recipe. You will need:

• Kidney beans
• Other ingredients as per your preference

Follow a similar process as the chicken curry recipes, sautéing the ingredients first and then adding the sauce.

Air Fryer Vegan Curry

This vegan curry is made with sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and a creamy tikka masala sauce. You will need:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander/cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 frozen spinach blocks
• 400g coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons tikka paste
• 2 teaspoons ginger puree
• 2 teaspoons dried coriander/cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Silicone pan with handles

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then mix with coriander, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place in the air fryer and cook at 180°C/360°F for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Add the chickpeas and garam masala, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by microwaving the spinach to thaw it, then squeezing out the excess moisture. Add the spinach and all the sauce ingredients to the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a container or the bottom of a Ninja Dual air fryer. Air fry the curry for about 10 minutes at 180°C/360°F or until it is piping hot and reduced.

Making a curry sauce in the air fryer

Making a curry sauce in an air fryer is a fun and tasty way to cook a curry. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a curry sauce in an air fryer:

First, you need to make the sauce. Place your tomatoes cut-side up with the onion in a small pan. You can use an air fryer cake barrel, or any oven-safe dish that fits in your air fryer basket. Then, roast the tomatoes in the air fryer at 320°F/160°C for 25 minutes, or until they are soft and charred.

Once the tomatoes and onions are cooked, add in the garlic, ginger, butter, curry powder, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and chilli powder. Cook for an additional 5 minutes in the air fryer.

Next, puree everything with the cream. You can either do this with an immersion blender in the dish or transfer the contents to a food processor and then return them to the dish.

If you want to add chicken to your curry, place the chicken in the air fryer basket and lightly spray with oil and sprinkle with paprika. Cook in the air fryer at 380°F/190°C for 5-8 minutes, or until cooked through. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.

Finally, combine the sauce with the chicken and warm up in the air fryer for a final 3-5 minutes.

Your curry is now ready to be served with rice or naan bread!

Note: You can also make the curry sauce directly in the bottom of the Ninja Dual air fryer by removing the crisper plate. Alternatively, you can place a silicone container into the air fryer when adding the sauce ingredients.

Chicken curry in the air fryer

Ingredients

You will need:

• 2 boneless chicken drumsticks or 1/2-1 pound chicken, cubed
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder or 2 heaped tablespoons of your favourite curry paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion or 1 large onion, chopped into wedges
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or 300ml coconut milk
• 1 cup cooked rice or rice and naan to serve
• Fresh herbs, such as cilantro or dill, to garnish (optional)

Method

• Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF/200ºC.
• Place the chicken in a metal container suitable for the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the air fryer and transfer to a separate plate.
• Place the onions in the air fryer container and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Add the curry powder and mix well.
• Place the chicken back in the container and add half a cup of hot water. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream to the chicken and mix well. Cook for another 7 minutes.
• The total cooking time will be 25 minutes. Arrange the rice on a serving dish, place the chicken on top and pour over the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tips

• If you want to add vegetables, try bell peppers, carrots and potatoes.
• For a Thai-inspired curry, swap the curry powder for Thai red or green curry paste and add coconut milk.
• You can substitute the chicken with shrimp, fish or a medley of seafood.
• To store leftovers, let the curry cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to four days.
• To freeze, divide into portion-sized containers and freeze for up to three months.

Air fryer chicken tikka masala curry

Yes, you can make a curry in an air fryer! In fact, you can make a chicken tikka masala in an air fryer, which gets "restaurant-quality results". Here is a recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 225g (1/2 lb.) chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces or tandoori chicken tikka
• 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or ghee or oil spray
• 2 medium onions (approx. 250g/9oz), thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 1 tsp sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp coconut milk powder or 3 tbsp thick coconut milk
• 125ml (1/2 cup) passata
• 1 tbsp mixed powder or curry powder
• 1 tbsp tandoori masala
• 375ml (1 ½ cups) chicken stock, stock cube stock is fine
• 70ml (1/4 cup) single cream, plus more to garnish
• 1/2 tsp red food colouring (optional)
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3 tbsp coriander (cilantro) to garnish

Instructions:

• Mix the oil, sliced onions and salt in a mixing bowl, ensuring the onions are evenly coated.
• Preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F and pour the mixture into the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
• Add the garlic and ginger paste for the last two minutes of cooking.
• Pour the fried onion mixture into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, ground almonds, coconut, passata, mixed powder or curry powder, tandoori masala, paprika and the water or stock.
• Blend until smooth using a stick blender or blender, then pour into a suitable metal container like a cake tin that fits into your air fryer.
• Air fry for 10 minutes. The sauce will begin to caramelise around the top. Stir this in for more flavour.
• Add the cooked chicken, butter and cream and cook for another 5 minutes or until hot enough to serve.
• To finish, add the food colouring (if using), kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and garam masala. Season with salt to taste and stir well.
• Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) to serve.

This recipe serves one to two people and can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze it, but it is recommended to do so before adding the cream.

Air fryer kidney bean curry

Yes, you can make a curry in an air fryer! In fact, you can make a whole range of curries in this way, including a kidney bean curry.

Kidney bean curry, or 'Rajma', is a popular vegetarian curry that is easy to prepare in an air fryer. Here is a recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or oil spray
• 2 medium onions (approx. 250g/9oz), thinly sliced
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cut in half, seeds and membrane removed
• 2 green finger chillies
• 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
• 70ml (1/4 cup) unseasoned passata
• 125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock, stock cube stock fine
• 1⁄2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
• 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
• 11⁄2 tsp ground cumin
• 11⁄2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 – 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil, optional
• 600g (21oz) tinned (canned) kidney beans, strained
• ½ tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Coriander (cilantro), to garnish

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F.
• Place the sliced onions, bell pepper, 1 tbsp oil and salt into a mixing bowl. If you are on a reduced-calorie diet, spray with cooking oil to coat and mix well.
• Pour the mixture into the air fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Carefully spread the garlic and ginger paste over the veggies and cook for a further 2 minutes, then pour the mixture back into your mixing bowl.
• Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the bowl and blend until smooth, then set aside.
• Set your air fryer to 200°C/400°F. Pour the oil, if using, into a cake tin or another metal pan that fits into your air fryer basket. Heat the oil for a couple of minutes, then pour in the sauce and cook for 10 minutes. The sauce will begin to brown on top and around the sides.
• Add the kidney beans and stir them through. Continue air frying for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the curry is hot enough to serve.
• To finish, add the kasoori methi by rubbing it between your fingers over the curry. Add the garam masala and season with salt to taste. Give it a good stir and garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro).

Tips:

• This recipe serves one to two people and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
• For a healthier option, spray the ingredients with cooking oil instead of using oil.
• You can also make roasted puffed kidney beans as a snack or appetiser to accompany the curry. Simply drain and rinse the kidney beans, then dab them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Add the beans to a mixing bowl with olive oil and spices, mix well, then spread the beans in the air fryer basket in one layer. Air fry at 380°F for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

Enjoy your delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make curry!

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