Yes, you can enjoy your favorite Diwali sweets without drowning them in ghee or oil.
With modern air fryers, especially 5L models like Haier’s, classics such as gulab jamun, modak, kaju katli, or even jalebi can be made with less oil, less stress, and the same festive indulgence.
Why are festive sweets always such a dilemma?
Every Indian festival is scented with sugar syrup, cardamom, and the unmistakable crackle of something deep-fried in ghee. From the first diya of Diwali to family gatherings that stretch late into the night, sweets aren’t just food, they are ritual, memory, and love.
But here’s the tension we all live with.
On one hand, the taste of a hot jalebi or soft gulab jamun feels non-negotiable. On the other, the oil content is impossible to ignore. Millennial and Gen Z families, in particular, are caught in this tug-of-war: How do you hold on to tradition without overloading on oil?
That’s where the air fryer has quietly stepped into the kitchen. Not as a gadget, but as a festival companion.
What makes an air fryer festival-friendly?
Think of it as a pressure cooker moment for this generation. Just as pressure cookers once redefined everyday cooking in Indian homes, air fryers are doing the same for festive snacks and sweets.
Here’s why:
- 3D hot air circulation ensures the golden crust you associate with frying, without immersing food in oil.
- High power (1500W) means quick batches when guests drop in unannounced.
- 5L capacity baskets can handle laddoo or samosa-sized batches for a family get-together.
- Preset recipes and digital/knob controls lower the learning curve. You don’t need to be a master chef to pull off modaks or cookies.
In other words, you get the indulgence, minus the oil stains on your kurta.
Which festive sweets actually work in an air fryer?
Not every mithai adapts perfectly. Some need syrup, some rely on deep immersion. But a surprising number of favorites are easily air fryer–friendly.
1. Modak
Traditionally steamed or fried, modaks can be brushed lightly with ghee and air fried till golden. The filling, jaggery and coconut, stays moist while the shell crisps beautifully.
Why it works: Air fryers mimic the dry heat of an oven but in a faster, more controlled way.
2. Gulab Jamun
Yes, it’s possible. Shape your khoya balls, air fry them with just a thin layer of ghee, and dunk into warm sugar syrup after cooking.
Tip: Preheat the fryer for even browning.
Result: You save on oil, but the soaking syrup ensures the softness remains.
3. Kaju Katli
This isn’t fried, but air fryers make it easier to roast cashews evenly before grinding. That even roasting changes the depth of flavor, making homemade katlis taste closer to store-bought perfection.
4. Jalebi
Pipe spirals of batter directly on parchment inside the fryer. Once crisp, dip into sugar syrup.
Cultural truth: The first few will always be misshapen, like handwriting on a new notebook. By the third attempt, you’ll get Instagram-worthy swirls.
5. Besan Laddoo
Roasting besan evenly is the secret. The circulating hot air ensures no patches of raw flour taste remain. Then you bind with ghee, but less than usual.
Bonus: The fragrance of roasted besan fills your kitchen faster.
6. Baked Gujiya
Instead of deep-frying gujiyas, brush with ghee and air fry. The crust crisps, the filling (khoya and dry fruits) stays intact.
Perfect for Diwali parties and gifting.
What changes when you go low-oil?
This isn’t only about calorie math. It’s about how food fits into modern life.
- Health alignment: Families with diabetic elders or calorie-conscious youngsters don’t have to sit out dessert.
- Practicality: No massive kadai of oil to reuse or discard. Less mess on the gas stove.
- Speed: 10–12 minutes for a batch instead of hovering over bubbling oil.
Festivals are about togetherness. If the air fryer frees you to actually sit with guests instead of monitoring kadais, isn’t that a bigger gift?
Small tweaks that make air-fried sweets succeed
Here’s the hidden system: it’s not just about shifting sweets into a new gadget, but adjusting technique.
1. Preheat for consistent browning.
2. Brush with ghee or oil lightly, air circulation needs a surface fat to crisp properly.
3. Don’t overcrowd, like any festival queue, everyone gets their turn faster if it’s orderly.
4. Flip halfway for jalebis, samosas, or gujiyas.
5. Pair with syrup smartly, air-fried items need soaking time for moisture balance.
Think of it as adapting the raga to a new instrument. The tune remains, but the tone feels fresher.
What role do appliances like Haier’s play?
A device is only as good as how it fits into your daily rhythm. Haier’s Black (HAF-D503B) and Ivory (HAF-M503I) 5L Air Fryers come with preset recipes, from samosas to cakes, that reduce experimentation stress.
The visible window in the black model even lets you peek without opening the basket, avoiding heat loss. Both carry 1500W power and 5L capacity, which means you can manage festival-scale cooking without multiple batches.
For working couples or parents managing school holidays, that difference is real. It’s not just an appliance; it’s time released back into the festival.
Real scenarios where air-fried sweets make sense
- Office potlucks: Carry a box of air-fried besan laddoos without worrying they’ll leave oil patches on paper plates.
- PG or rented homes: Young professionals can pull off gulab jamun in a compact kitchen without buying a kadai or gas cylinder.
- Family get-togethers: No aunt whispering about cholesterol after the third jalebi.
- Late-night cravings: A small batch of cookies or gujiyas in 12 minutes with no guilt, no leftovers.
These aren’t abstract promises. They’re everyday realities in homes where space, time, and health all intersect.
The bigger picture: what festivals teach us about food systems
Every tradition evolves. Once, sugar itself was a luxury. Then pressure cookers transformed how dal was made. Microwave ovens made reheating a habit. Now air fryers are reframing indulgence.
The system isn’t about rejecting fried foods but about expanding choices. For the first time, festive sweets aren’t locked behind a health-versus-tradition binary. You can choose the middle path.
That’s not just innovation. That’s cultural resilience.
Quick comparison: Traditional frying vs. air frying sweets
| Aspect | Deep Frying | Air Frying |
| Oil usage | 2–3 cups | 1–2 tsp brush |
| Cooking time | 15–20 mins (active) | 10–12 mins (semi-passive) |
| Health load | High calories, heavy digestion | Lower calories, lighter digestion |
| Kitchen mess | Splatter, disposal issue | Minimal, easy cleanup |
| Festival feel | Authentic but heavy | Authentic taste, lighter afterfeel |
The table isn’t about replacement. It’s about showing the real options.
Final thought: Will air-fried sweets replace tradition?
Not really. No one is taking away the kadai from your grandmother. But for modern households balancing tradition with health, the air fryer is the new festive ally.
If technology like Haier’s air fryers helps us share sweets with more people, more often, with less guilt, then that’s the spirit of Diwali itself, spreading light without excess smoke.
Because the true sweetness of festivals isn’t in sugar or ghee. It’s in making joy sustainable.