Air Fryer Recipe
Curry-Spiced Chickpea and Spinach Bites
A delightful blend of chickpeas and spinach infused with aromatic curry spices, offering a healthy and flavourful snack option, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 200g fresh spinach
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic, sautéing until golden brown.
- Add the spices to the onions and garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chickpeas and spinach to the pan, stirring until the spinach has wilted and everything is well coated with the spices.
- Let the mixture cool slightly, then spoon small portions onto an air fryer tray lined with parchment paper.
- Air fry the mixture for 10-12 minutes or until crisp and slightly golden.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving for the ultimate crispy texture.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air-fryer convection drives moisture off the chickpeas and wilted spinach quickly, so their starches dry and crisp at the edges. Blooming the curry spices in oil first disperses fat-soluble aromas, while cooling before shaping reduces steam, helping the portions set instead of slumping on the parchment.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket with portions in a single layer and a little space between them; in a single-drawer fryer use the middle of the basket and rotate the parchment once, while dual-zone models may need 1–2 minutes extra if both drawers are running because airflow and heat recovery are reduced.
Common pitfalls
- Bites spreading into soft mounds by minute 5? The spinach or chickpeas are too wet; cook the pan mixture a little longer until no liquid pools, then cool before air frying.
- Centres staying pasty while edges brown? Portions are too large; make them heaped-teaspoon sized and flatten slightly so the hot air can dry the middle before the outside overcolours.
- Parchment lifting or scorching at the corners? It is too light or uncovered; trim it to sit flat under the food and never preheat with loose parchment in the basket.
- Mixture falling apart when lifted? The chickpeas are still too whole; lightly crush some of them after cooking so their starch acts as a binder, then let the bites cool for a few minutes before moving.
Variations & substitutions
- Use frozen spinach, but thaw and squeeze it very dry first; otherwise the extra water will steam the bites and add several minutes to crisping.
- Swap chickpeas for cannellini beans for a softer interior; they contain more moisture, so cook the pan mixture until visibly drier before shaping.
- Add a tablespoon of gram flour if you want firmer, more pakora-like bites; it absorbs surface moisture and helps the portions brown more evenly.
- Use curry powder in place of the separate cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala; reduce the salt slightly if the blend is already seasoned.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 170°C for 4–6 minutes until hot and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
