Cookbook Review: Air Fryer Revolution

I suppose for my first air fryer book I should have gone for her first book- but why settle for everyday recipes when we can have a revolution?

With the recent addition of an air fryer to our kitchen appliances, I was on the hunt for good recipes online. One of the first ones I tried, I bought all the ingredients, then I got locked out because I didn’t have a subscription, so I decided another cookbook was in order. My wife perused the cookbook section at the bookstore and settled on Air Fryer Revolution by Urvashi Pitre. It has been a joy- 1) the air fryer is easy and amazing 2) the recipes are delicious. It is much less work than the instant pot, so much so that after loading it up I literally have no idea what to do with my life. Play with the kids? Clean the dishes? “Free time”? What is this “free time” you speak of?

Chicken jalfrezi! This recipe says it takes 15 minutes of prep time but... I think you could easily do it in 5. Then you just microwave the sauce! What kind of magic is this?

Is the food actually good?

Yes. Everything has been really good. Every recipe has a delicious spice rub or sauce and the end of the book even has recipes for all the of spice mixes so if you can’t find them in the store (or like me, can’t find them in the store without garlic!) you can make them all at home. The introduction is a tad condescending talking about how there are a lot of spices in the book but you shouldn't be scared. While I don’t like the insinuation that I’m afraid of spices, she’s not wrong- all of the spices have been very delicious.

Ras al hanout-roasted carrots with harissa sour cream: yes, that's a lot of potentially scary (I guess?) words for a white American. But I'm not scared! Give me that cumin, tumeric, smoked paprika goodness.

Is it good for food allergies?

This is what was so exciting about this cookbook! It’s got a little section at the top of each recipe that says what it is free of (dairy, egg, gluten, grain, nut, and soy are all included) and it’s even got a table in the back that cross references each recipe with what it’s safe for. It’s not completely accurate (one recipe said it was egg free, but used mayo), but just that it acknowledges that food restrictions exist makes me really happy. 

The dessert section isn’t great for people with milk, dairy, or (pea)nut allergies, so I haven’t tried any of the baking recipes yet. But other than that, 5/5: would recommend.