Fried Onions (Birista) are thinly sliced onions deep-fried in oil until crisp and golden brown. They are very popular in Indian cuisine and are used to make biryani, burgers, pulao, korma, dal, khichdi, soup, etc.
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Recipe card
Fried Onions | Birista Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg Onions 2 pounds
- 1 litre Oil for frying or enough to submerge sliced onions based on size of pan
Instructions
- Peel and thinly and evenly slice the onions.1 kg Onions
- Heat oil in a large pan for frying on medium-high flame. Make sure you have added enough oil to cover all the onion slices.1 litre Oil for frying
- When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions.
- Initially, fry the onions on high flame for the first 8 minutes. This removes the moisture.
- Reduce the flame to low and fry until it becomes golden brown, stirring frequently. Onions continue to cook and keep browning from the residual heat. So keep a close eye while frying onions.
- Transfer them to a paper towel and spread them. This will make the fried onions crispy.
- Once cooled, store in air-tight container in the refrigerator for four days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. You do not have to thaw it.
Video
Notes
- You can coat the thinly sliced onions in corn flour or flour before frying to make them crispy.
- It takes seconds for onions to turn from golden brown to burnt.
- When you add sliced onions, the oil should be hot enough. Otherwise, the onion will absorb oil and become too soggy.
- Do not discard the leftover oil in which the onion is fried. This enhances the flavor of the dish. Use it to make biryani, add tempering to dal, or cook dosa.
- Use this time as a guide. The time for frying will vary depending on the thickness of the onion slices, the heat level, etc.
Nutrition
Birista
Birista, also known as barista or Beresta means crispy fried onions made using just two ingredients: onion and oil. It adds a nice aromatic flavor and crunch to the dishes. Biryani is complete with birista.
While Birista is readily available in stores, there's nothing quite like the taste of homemade. If you have the time, consider making it yourself. Not only does it taste delicious, but it's also free from artificial colors and preservatives. Plus, you can store it in the freezer for up to 6 months, ready to use whenever needed. It will never taste rancid.
You can also check out our popular French crispy fried onions made with buttermilk and onion rings.
Ingredients
Onions: Red onions are traditionally used. But feel free to use white or yellow onions, too.
Oil: We prefer and use coconut oil for frying. You can use any neutral oil, such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil.
Check out the recipe card for the full list of the ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
- Peel and thinly and evenly slice the onions.
- Heat oil in a large pan for frying on medium-high flame. Make sure you have added enough oil to cover all the onion slices.
- When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions.
- Initially, fry the onions on high flame for the first 8 minutes. This removes the moisture.
- Reduce the flame to low and fry until it becomes golden brown, stirring frequently. Onions continue to cook and keep browning from the residual heat. So keep a close eye while frying onions.
- Transfer them to a paper towel and spread them. This will make the fried onions crispy.
- Once cooled, store in air-tight conatiner in the refrigerator for four days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. You do not have to thaw it.
Tips
- You can coat the thinly sliced onions in corn flour or flour before frying to make them crispy.
- It takes seconds for onions to turn from golden brown to burnt.
- When you add sliced onions, the oil should be hot enough. Otherwise, the onion will absorb oil and become too soggy.
- Do not discard the leftover oil in which the onion is fried. This enhances the flavor of the dish. Use it to make biryani, add tempering to dal, or cook dosa.
Air fryer birista
To avoid frying, you can make the barista in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 200 degrees C. Add sliced onions to the basket and spray oil. Air fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Now, reduce the temperature to 120 degrees C. Keep tossing every 5 minutes and air fry until golden browned.
Recipe FAQs
Crispy golden brown onions are popularly used in biryani, pulao, and korma. Use it as toppings for dal, khichdi, soups, etc. Crush them and add them to the marinade. It enhances the flavor of the dish.
Yes. Once the oil cools down, strain and save the oil. Use it to cook Indian dosas, temper dal, or tadka to your favorite curries. You can also use it to make any simple rice dishes.
More onion recipes
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Ashley
I love the crunch and flavor of these! They make sandwiches so much better--a great topping for burgers at your next cookout.
rachana
Gosh, this is such a simple & lovely recipe! the birista came out perfect when I tried it your way! 🙂
Melissa
These were fantastic. I was looking for a fried crispy onion recipe and these were perfect. Easy to follow directions and they came out delicious.
Ann
I always relied on store bought. Happy to find this homemade version. Thanks!
TAYLER ROSS
I made these onions last night and added them to our burgers- they were delicious! Definitely a new favorite!