How to make Pinch of Nom’s air fryer chicken tikka masala and blueberry muffins
Kate (R) and Kay Allinson. Picture: Mike English/PA
Air frying doesn’t have to be limited to unhealthy, processed frozen foods, says Kay Allinson, one half of the Pinch Of Nom pair, creators of the UK’s most visited food blog who have sold over five million books and have an online community of more than four million followers.
“I fell into that trap that a lot of people fall into. It’s really good for heating up frozen food, and that isn’t always a good thing. It’s quick and easy but if you’re trying to lose a bit of weight, chicken dippers aren’t the best.”
She and Kate Allinson — partners in work and life — have now written their most requested cookbook to date, Air Fryer, which features 55 new recipes and 20 of Nom’s classic and most-popular dishes adapted for air frying — easy, slimming meals in their trademark easy-to-follow style.
“The amount of requests we had for this book were just insane,” she explains. “The air fryer shouting got quite loud.”
The couple, who married three years ago — Kay, 38, heads up the tech operation of the website while Kate, 54, is a trained chef who owned a restaurant in Wirral before Nom came about — had been using air fryers long before they became a trend.
“We started using an air fryer years ago. We’ve always done air fryer recipes pretty much since we started Nom in 2016.
"They’re cheaper to use than the oven, are easier to clean and I use mine a damn sight more than I use my oven.”
But realising she had at one point fallen into the trap of heating up frozen food, she recalls: “We started to play around with recipes and came up with sticky chicken nuggets, a variation of a recipe in the book for Korean chicken nuggets, because I wanted to do something a bit different, a bit nicer.
“Frozen food is convenient, easy and quick, but sometimes you can do things just as quick (from scratch) and that brings a sense of pride.”
She says the recipes in the book – including bacon and cheese frittata (327kcal per serving), barbecue pulled chicken (186kcal) and sticky teriyaki aubergine (69kcal) — are pretty healthy, although they are never going to be prescriptive.
“We’re never going to say, ‘Follow these recipes and you’re going to lose X amount of weight’. That’s just not what we’re about. I mean, whenever Kate and I eat the same things, do the exact same amount of exercise, one of us will probably gain weight and the other will lose weight.
“What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone and I think it’s so easy, especially with social media. There are so many fad diets. I remember the days when people used to eat cabbage soup. Eating healthily and eating well doesn’t have to be as restrictive.”
Kay, who lives with Kate in Wirral, has gone through her own weight loss journey.
“I’ve lost 15 stone now since we started Nom. I’m still pretty hefty. I’ve still got a bit to go but I feel so much better about myself.”
But air fryers can be used for healthy eating, she says.
“Obviously they are naturally suited to foods that brown, but we’ve done a lasagne in this (book), we’ve done a soup, there is no limit on what you can do.
“I’m not going to say air fryers are the gateway to healthy eating because that would be as silly as me saying the kitchen is the gateway to healthier eating.
“It’s a way in which you can create dishes that are quick and easy, that don’t take many steps, that are done all in the same thing (air fryer) in not very much time.”
Misting your chips and chicken with an oil spray can be a healthier option, she suggests.
“I’m not saying that the results are exactly the same as a deep fried chip, but I’m certainly quite happy with my chips. It’s not so much the taste, it’s more the finish.
“But for me, you’re never going to beat a chip from a chippy. But that isn’t sustainable for everyone. For me, that chip would lead to other things and it’s not going to be the healthiest meal I eat all week and that is not where I want to be in my life.” She suggests that anyone who wants to eat more healthily should plan their meals, working out what they are going to eat for the week.
“I tend to do it a couple of days ahead because I have ADHD. I always try to make an extra portion of something so I can freeze it. Quite a lot of the recipes in the book can also be frozen and reheated in the air fryer, which is really handy.”
The Nom pair advise people to defrost frozen food in the fridge overnight and reheat within 24 hours. So, will the air fryer ever replace the microwave?
“That’s something we’ve talked about as a team. I think both gadgets have their place in the kitchen. Obviously the microwave is really handy in short bursts, but it’s not great for crisping things.
“I feel like the microwave may have a little bit of a resurgence because of this focus on gadgets in the kitchen but for us, no matter what our readers demand from us, we are just going to keep making those recipes that are tried and tested, that people enjoy.”
- by Kate and Kay Allinson is published by Bluebird. Photography by Mike English. Available now.
Pinch of Nom’s air fryer chicken tikka masala
Air fryers make recreating your favourite takeaway at home so much easier.
Servings
4Preparation Time
15 minsCooking Time
50 minsTotal Time
1 hours 5 minsCourse
MainCuisine
IndianIngredients
For the spice mix:
1tsp ground paprika
1tsp ground coriander
1tsp ground cumin
2tsp garam masala
1tsp garlic granules
½tsp mild chilli powder
For the chicken tikka:
50g fat-free Greek yoghurt
1tbsp fresh lemon juice
A few drops of red food colouring (optional)
500g skinless chicken breast, cut into evenly sized 2.5cm cubes
For the sauce:
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3cm piece of root ginger, peeled
1 red chilli, deseeded (or leave the seeds in for extra spice)
Low-calorie cooking spray
1tsp salt
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml plant-based coconut drink
Juice of ½ lemon
1tbsp mango chutney
50g fat-free Greek yoghurt
A good handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
To accompany:
125g cooked basmati rice
Method
Combine the spices for the spice mix in a small bowl.
In a large non-metallic bowl, make the chicken tikka by mixing together the Greek yoghurt with one tablespoon of the spice mix. Add the lemon juice and a few drops of red food colouring, if using. Stir well and add the diced chicken, mixing until all the pieces are well coated in the marinade. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least two hours, or you can leave overnight if you wish.
To make the sauce, place the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli in a food processor or blender, and blitz to a paste.
Set a non-stick pan over a medium to low heat. Spray well with low-calorie cooking spray. When hot, add the blended paste and the salt, and gently fry for 10 minutes, until it is dry and a golden colour.
Add the remaining spice mix to the paste, and cook for a minute or two until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and coconut drink and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
About five minutes before the end of the cooking time, spray your air fryer basket with low-calorie cooking spray and add the marinated chicken. Spritz the top with low-calorie cooking spray and air-fry for eight to 10 minutes at 200°C, turning halfway through. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
While the chicken tikka cooks, remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and mango chutney, and using a stick blender, carefully blitz until smooth. Stir in the yoghurt and chopped coriander. Add the cooked chicken pieces and stir to coat, then serve with basmati rice.
Pinch of Nom’s air fryer white chocolate and blueberry muffin
These fluffy, berry-licious muffins will have you coming back for seconds (or thirds!)
Servings
12Preparation Time
10 minsCooking Time
12 minsTotal Time
22 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
200g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
3tbsp granulated sweetener
50g reduced-fat spread
1 medium egg
125g fat-free natural yoghurt
100ml skimmed milk
50g white chocolate chips
100g fresh blueberries
Method
Sift the flour and baking powder together into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sweetener.
Put the spread in a small bowl and pop in the microwave for a few seconds to melt.
In a separate jug, beat the egg, yoghurt, milk, and melted spread together.
Working quickly, make a well in the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Add the white chocolate chips and blueberries and fold everything together with a spatula, until just combined.
Spoon into the silicone muffin or fairy cake cases. Place into the air fryer basket and air-fry at 160°C for 12 minutes, until risen and golden. To check if they are cooked, a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin should come out clean. You may have to cook these in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
You can freeze these, once cold, in airtight freezerproof containers. Defrost and eat cold, or warm through in the microwave for a few seconds.
