Fried Onions | Birista Recipe

Homemade crispy fried onions | Birista for biryani, burgers, toppings for salads, soups, etc.

5 from 6 votes

Fried Onions | Birista Recipe

Fried Onions (Birista) are thinly sliced onions deep-fried in oil until golden brown. They are very popular in Indian cuisine and are used to make biryani, burgers, pulao, korma, dal, khichdi soup, etc.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: South Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Servings: cups

Calories: 487kcal

Author: Kushi

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