When it comes to an air fryer, it is pretty much similar to an oven as it roasts and bakes. So what makes it different? The answer is its heating elements. They are located on the top and are also accompanied by a powerful and large fan. The result is delicious and crispy air fried food made in very little or no oil. Because of the placement of the fan, food cooks very quickly and evenly. But most importantly, the heat source makes all the difference.
Air Fryer vs. Deep Fryer
With the help of a high-powered fan, food is baked in an air fryer, whereas when it comes to a deep fryer, oil is heated up to a specific temperature and food is cooked in that oil. The air fryer doesn’t need preheating time whereas the deep fryer needs 10 minutes of pre-heating before the actual cooking process can begin.
Air fryers, practically, need no oil at all, or very little oil while deep fryers need a lot of oil that gets absorbed by the food. While the food cooked in an air fryer is a lot healthy, it doesn’t taste as good as it does when deep-fried. When it comes to wet batter or flour-based batter, they don’t taste good when made in an air fryer whereas deep fryer can do proper justice to the food.
Is Air Fried Food Healthy?
The texture and taste of air-fried food are very different as compared to deep-fried food. The food always comes out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. While air frying, it is recommended that you use a tiny amount of oil or use no oil at all.
But the real question arises, is air frying even worth it? Is it even healthy? Well, the answer is YES. As long as you are using 1-2 tablespoons of oil (Preferably plant-based), and you are air frying healthy food items, it is definitely healthy. A famous Nutritionist, Jaclyn London, mentions, “Any appliance that helps you and your family up your veggie game is key to weight management, reduced risk of chronic disease, and improved long-term health as we age.”
What Can You Cook in an Air-Fryer?
Well, honestly, anything that you can deep fry, you can air fry it. But other than that, you can air-fry veggies, meat, and even air-fry cookies. While you can try air-fry anything, mozzarella sticks, nuggets, and fries taste amazing when they are air-fried as opposed to deep frying.
Brushing oil lightly on all sides gives it a golden-brown color that is to die for. It retains the texture of the food item making it super crispy yet juicy. You can air-fry chicken and fish preserving all nutritional components. Air-fryers are literally compact ovens. Thus, they are great for roasting veggies. If you want to bake yourself a quick treat, an air-fryer is the right option for you. You can now have apple fritters or cookies anytime you want.
Price of Air-fryer in Pakistan:
The most reasonable air fryer costs less than PKR 15,000 whereas the most expensive air fryer costs around PKR 75,000.