Achari Aloo Tikka (Air Fryer)

Ingredients

• 500 g potatoes I use dutch baby potatoes and cut them in quarters
• Oil for air frying
• 100 g plain greek yogurt or thick curd
• ½-1 tablespoon achari masala spice blend add as per the intensity of your achai masala
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (medium hot), adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon besan gram flour, substitute with chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon achar ka masala optional
• 1.25 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Ginger garlic & chili paste quantities below
• 2-3 garlic
• ¼ inch fresh ginger
• 2 green chilies (hot), adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

Steps

1. Preparing Potatoes – The baby potatoes I used were big so I halved and then quatered them. If you have small baby potatoes, leave them whole.
2. Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted boling water until they are tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. Drain them and set aside to cool.
3. While the potatoes boil, in a small saucepan, dry roast the besan over low heat until it turns golden brown and releases a nutty aroma.
4. Add garlic, ginger, green chilli, cumin seeds and fennel seeds to a mortar and using a pestle pound into a paste.
5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, achaari spice mix, nigella seeds, ginger, garlic, green chili paste, mustard oil, turmeric powder, red chili powder, achaar masala(from the achaar), and salt until well combined.Taste and add lemon juice as needed for added tangy flavors. Tip: The marinade should be thick. If it's too runny, it will slide off the tikka during cooking. To fix a runny marinade, stir in an extra tablespoon of roasted besan.
6. Add the cooled boiled potatoes to the achari marinade. Toss gently to ensure they are evenly coated in the marinade.
7. Cover and let the potatoes marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) in the refrigerator.
8. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer. I line the basket with a liner for easy cleanup and its non-stick too. If you are placing directly on basket rack, spray the rack first with little bit of oil to prevent tikka from sticking.
9. Air fry at 360°F for 6-8 minutes. Flip the potatoes using tongs and continue for another 3-5 minutes until golden and crispy.
10. Pull out the basket and let the tikka stand for a minute.
11. Then, using tongs, transfer the achari aloo tikka to a serving plate. Ganish with chopped cilantro if you wish and serve warm.
12. On low medium flame, heat up 2-3 tablespoons of oil in large skillet (non stick preferably). Layer the marinated potatoes in a single layer on the skillet.
13. Roast the potatoes 2-4 minutes per side until you see light brown chars. Rotate to roast on all sides.