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Air Fryer Tandoori Vegetables (Crispy, Smoky & Ready in 20 Minutes)

Air Fryer Tandoori Vegetables (Crispy, Smoky & Ready in 20 Minutes)

Air fryer tandoori vegetables are smoky, spicy, and crispy on the edges — no tandoor, no skewers, no fuss. Ready in 20 minutes with 3 ingredients you can swap.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 person
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the vegetables (choose 4–5 cups total, mixed):
  • 1 small cauliflower cut into 1.5-inch florets
  • 1 large potato cubed and parboiled 5 minutes
  • 1 red bell pepper cut into chunks
  • 1 zucchini sliced into half-moons
  • 1 small red onion cut into petals
For the tandoori marinade:
  • ¾ cup thick yogurt Greek yogurt or hung curd
  • 2 tbsp tandoori masala
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder for color, not heat
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp chaat masala
  • 1 tbsp besan gram flour — this is the ingredient most recipes skip, and it's what gives you that slightly crisp, non-soggy coating
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oil
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • Air fryer (basket-style, 4-6 qt) -
  • 2 large glass mixing bowls
  • Cutting board + chef's knife
  • Air fryer parchment liners

Method
 

  1. Dry-roast the besan.
  2. Toast the gram flour in a dry pan for 60–90 seconds until it smells nutty. Skipping this leaves a raw, chalky taste in the marinade — a detail most recipes leave out.
  3. Build the marinade.
  4. Whisk yogurt,
  5. roasted besan, and all spices into a smooth, lump-free paste.
  6. Marinate in two batches. Toss the hardier vegetables (potato, cauliflower) and the quicker ones (zucchini, pepper, onion) separately, so you can add them to the basket at different times. Rest for 30 minutes minimum, up to 2 hours in the fridge.
  7. First air fry pass.
  8. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Add cauliflower and potato in a single layer. Cook 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
Second air fry pass.
  1. Add the bell pepper,
  2. zucchini, and onion to the basket. Continue cooking for another 8–10 minutes, shaking once, until every piece has charred edges and the marinade has dried into a slight crust.
Finish and serve.
  1. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, scatter chopped coriander, and serve hot with mint chutney or a cooling onion raita.

Video

Notes

Don't skip the 60-sec roasted besan — it's what stops the marinade from sliding off. Pat veggies bone-dry, marinate 30 min to 2 hrs, and always cook in two waves (potato + cauliflower first, peppers/zucchini/onion second). Finish with that 2-min 425°F blast for char, but watch it closely.
If you like a stronger char, hit the basket with a 2-minute blast at 425°F right at the end. Watch closely — this is where most home cooks lose it to burning.