You don’t need a kadai full of hot oil to get crisp, golden samosas.
Today’s convection microwaves with in-built air fryers and oil-free cooking modes let you bake or air fry samosas to the same crunch without the splatter, the smoke, or the guilt.
Why the Indian love affair with fried food is complicated
Every Indian household has its “frying memories.”
- Monsoon evenings with chai and pakoras.
- Party trays stacked with samosas.
- The smell of ghee-fried mathri wafting through a Diwali kitchen.
But here’s the paradox: what makes these snacks so irresistible is that deep fry also makes them messy, unhealthy, and impractical for daily life. The oil splatters. The heavy feeling afterwards. The cleaning that follows.
So the real question isn’t whether we love samosas. It’s whether the way we cook them still makes sense in 2025.
What if crisp didn’t mean fried?
For years, the crunch of a samosa was linked to oil. But that assumption is crumbling.
Three forces are reshaping Indian kitchens:
- Health awareness. Parents don’t want to serve fried snacks every weekend.
- Time pressure. Young professionals can’t afford 40 minutes of frying and cleanup.
- Smart appliances. Microwaves aren’t just reheating machines anymore they grill, bake, air fry, and do it evenly.
Which means crisp now comes from hot air circulation and convection heating, not litres of oil.
The new system: Air frying inside your microwave
This is where technology sneaks in quietly to solve an age-old craving.
- In-built air fryer menus. 30L Convection Microwave has 36 dedicated air fryer settings, designed for snacks like samosas, fries, or spring rolls.
- Oil-free cooking. Even the 20L and 25L models offer crisp textures with minimal or no oil.
- Auto-cook menus. With over 300 presets in some models, you’re one touch away from perfect timing and temperature.
The result? Golden samosas that crunch at the first bite without a drop of oil on the counter.
Everyday examples that prove the point
Think about these situations:
- Rainy evening in Mumbai. Instead of frying, you place frozen samosas on the crispy plate of a convection microwave. 12 minutes later, they’re as crunchy as the ones your mom fried, without the smoky kitchen.
- Office potluck in Bengaluru. You batch-cook 20 samosas using the air fryer tray uniformly browned, no refrying needed.
- Weekend family movie in Delhi. Kids want something “junk-food like.” You serve oil-free samosas with chutney, and everyone’s happy.
The taste memory remains intact. The trade-offs vanish.
The three options for crisp samosas today
One: Traditional deep frying.
- Cost: Cheap oil, cheap utensils.
- Benefit: Familiar taste and texture.
- Hidden cost: Health, smoke, messy cleanup, repeated oil wastage.
Two: Baking in an OTG.
- Cost: Slower, needs preheating.
- Benefit: Lower oil usage, crisp if done right.
- Hidden cost: Uneven browning, long cooking times.
Three: Air frying in a convection microwave.
- Cost: Slightly higher appliance investment.
- Benefit: Crispness without oil, faster cooking, multiple menus, no mess.
- Hidden cost: None obvious except the myth that samosas “must be fried.”
Why this matters beyond samosas
The principle here is bigger than a snack.
- Constraints drive creativity. When oil becomes optional, design shifts toward healthier, faster systems.
- Everyday rituals adapt. Families still bond over samosas, but the cooking ritual changes from messy frying to clean baking.
- Health integrates into habit. The moment you can enjoy fried textures without frying, “healthy eating” stops feeling like sacrifice
What looks like a kitchen hack is actually a cultural shift.
Inside Haier’s approach to the modern kitchen
Haier’s convection microwaves illustrate this shift.
- 30L Convection Microwave with In-Built Air Fryer. Perfect for big families, equipped with rotisserie and 305 pre-set menus.
- 25L Convection Microwave with Bread Basket. Oil-free frying plus the ability to make naan, kulcha, and paratha in three easy steps.
- 20L Convection Microwave with Mirror Glass Design. Compact, stylish, and still offers oil-free cooking and 66 auto-cook menus.
Each is designed for a different household but all share the same promise: crisp without compromise.
The bigger cultural picture
Let’s zoom out. What does a no-oil samosa really represent?
- From indulgence to everyday life. What was once reserved for weekends can now be made guilt-free on a Tuesday.
- From messy to mindful. The kitchen doesn’t smell like leftover oil; it smells like fresh food.
- From reactive to proactive. Instead of dreading the aftermath of frying, families look forward to the act of cooking together.
The samosa becomes more than a snack. It becomes a case study in how Indian homes adapt tradition with innovation.
Practical guide: How to make oil-free samosas in a convection microwave
- Prepare or buy samosas. Fresh or frozen both work.
- Preheat on air fry/convection mode. Typically 180–200°C.
- Place samosas on a crispy plate/air fry tray. No overlapping for even browning.
- Cook for 10–15 minutes. Turn once if your model suggests.
- Serve with chutney. No oil blotting, no greasy fingers.
Tip: Brush lightly with ghee if you want a richer aroma without deep frying.
Costs and benefits at a glance
| Method | Oil Use | Time | Crispness | Cleanup | Health Impact |
| Deep Frying | High | 20m | Very high | Messy | Negative |
| OTG Baking | Low | 25m | Medium | Moderate | Neutral |
| Convection Air Fry | None/Low | 12m | High | Easy | Positive |
What this teaches us about change
A crisp samosa without oil is proof that tradition and innovation don’t have to clash.
- We still get the taste of memories.
- We save time and health.
- We reduce waste and stress
And if one snack can evolve like this, what else in our kitchens and lives can adapt without losing essence?
Final thought
The secret isn’t just in the samosa. It’s in the system that makes it crisp without compromise.
Haier’s oil-free microwaves aren’t asking us to give up what we love. They’re showing us how everyday rituals like biting into a samosa can feel lighter, smarter, and just as joyful.
Because in the end, the best traditions aren’t frozen in oil. They’re crisped by change.