Aztech Air Fryer – A Simple Way to Make Sweet and Sour Pork

Five years ago when I first heard of the term ‘air fryer‘, I thought it was a rocket science innovation. My imagination back then was a floating marinated chicken thigh in an oven, which gets fried until crispy golden brown in few minutes. The secret is due to the evaporated cooking oil present in the hot air. Therefore, the term ‘air fryer‘ is born! I might have the wildest imagination, but this is not true.

An air fryer is a home appliance that fries food until golden brown using little or no oil. The technology behind the air fryer is very simple. Using a high-speed built-in fan which circulates the hot air up to 200 degrees Celcius, the rapid hot air circulates around the food in a constraint cooking area. The end product? Crispy golden brown layer on food which looks like they have been deep-fried. Therefore, air fryers are much healthier than traditional fryers.

Aztech AirCook 5.5L Air Fryer

The Aztech AAF7630 5.5L Air Fryer fries food up to 80 per cent less fat. With its 1.2kg cooking capacity, this air fryer is able to cook a large amount of food in a go. Unlike most air fryer which uses plastic timer knobs, the Aztec AirCook uses a touch screen interface with a digital LED display.

The Aztech AirCook has 7 presets including frying, roasting and baking. This turns everybody into a master chef at home. If you prefer to have more control over the temperature and timing, you can set your preferred settings manually. The non-stick removal basket is a huge plus as it makes washing after use much easier.

The Aztech AirCook 5.5L Air Fryer is retailed at S$349. For more information, please visit www.aztech.com.

Sweet And Sour Pork Recipe

I am a huge fan of Sweet and Sour pork (咕嚕肉). This classic Cantonese dish is commonly served in Chinese restaurants and zi char stalls in Singapore. Traditionally, this dish is prepared in a way where the chunks of pork are deep-fried first. After that, these crispy pork nuggets are stir-fried with the rest of the ingredients such as pineapples, onions and tomato ketchup.

As we are getting more health-conscious, we can enjoy this dish with less intake of oil. Using the Aztech AirCook 5.5L Air Fryer,  I am going to share with you how to prepare the Sweet and Sour Pork with lesser guilt.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients for the crispy pork nuggets

• 600 grams of pork belly, sliced into chunks
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• Dashes of pepper
• 250 grams of plain flour
• One egg, cracked

Ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce

• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 of fresh pineapple, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 5 tablespoons of tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoon of cooking oil
• 50ml of water

Directions for the crispy pork nuggets

1. In a large bowl, marinate the chunks of pork with soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper.
2. Add the egg and mix the marinated pork thoroughly.
3. Pour the plain flour into the bowl and mix it well.
4. Place the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, switch on the Aztech AirCook Air Fryer and select the “Frying” mode. Set the temperature to 200-degree celsius for 20 minutes.
6. Put the marinated chunks of pork into the airfryer. For every 8 to 10 minutes, turn the meat with a pair of tongs.
7. When the pork nuggets turn golden brown, remove them from the airfryer and set it aside to cool.

Directions for the sweet and sour pork

1. Using a bowl, mix the tomato ketchup and water.
2. Heat up the wok and pour the cooking oil.
3. Add the chopped garlic and stir-fry until slightly brown.
4. Add the chopped onions, tomato, cucumber and pineapples. Stir fry.
5. Pour the ketchup into the hot wok and stir-fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the crispy golden brown pork nuggets into the wok and stir-fry evenly.
7. Serve on a plate and enjoy.