Name: How to Make Perfect Birista | Crispy Fried Onions Recipe
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 kgs Onions (thinly sliced); 4 cups Oil (for frying)

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Crispy Fried Onions recipe | Golden fried onions | How to make perfect birista for biryani step by step photos. Tips on how to store or freeze fried onions. Golden fried onions are beautiful golden deep fried onions, we usually use for making biryanis. Not only biryanis, but these golden fried onions also goes in variety of dishes. i.e. Kormas, curries, kababs, pulaos and so on. These crispy fried onions are called as birista or beresta. Here is how to make perfect birista (beresta) at home with step by step photos. As we proceed, I will also mention how to fry the onions and store fried onions.

Golden fried onions. How to make crisp fried onions. make perfect Birista.

Since the time from my childhood, I have been seeing, how my mom always used to thin onion slices, fry them to golden brown in a hot oil and store them nicely. Making hyderabadi biyanis or bombay biryani and even awadhi biryani was not at all a task at my home. The reason being, because of handy stock of birista available throughout the year in our freezer.

Yes, when crispy fried onions are readily stocked in freezer, making biryanis kormas kababs becomes extremely easy. This is what I learnt from her and carrying the legacy of storing beresta in a freezer for easy use any time and everytime.

Crispy fried onions are so much loaded with flavour, that one cannot resist just picking it up and munching on it. Now, I have to confess this, my and my son are a die hard fan of golden fried onions. We grab a spoonful and simply munch on it 😛

Whenever, you have any guest at your home, you keep an elaborate meal is ready for them at the table. Now, what you can do is, simply just sprinkle few of them over the curries and dals, and see the magic 🙂 It will not only give an interesting twist but will also enhance the aroma and flavour of the dish. More importantly, topped fried onions will give rich look to every meal you prepare.

Recipes Using Crispy Fried Onions (birista):

We do not use birista only for biryanis, but many more recipes or dishes. As we know, that one use of it is in Hyderabadi dum biryani. Furthermore, golden fried onions are also used in different kabab recipes, kormas, curries be it a veg or non veg.

Apart from these dishes, the beresta make its way to chicken pulao, mutton pulao ar any pulao of choice. Pulaos and biryanis are never complete without beresta, do you agree to this? Atleast, I cannot think of most of my non vegetarian recipes without birista. Just crush them into any recipe and you have a delightful meal ready any time.

In most of the korma or awadhi recipes, you will find that beresta goes in as a paste.

One small secret I would like to share with you all here. Whenever I make even a simple khichdi with just dal and rice mixed together, I crush handful of beresta along with spoonful of ghee and salt while cooking. Believe me, you see the magic how a simple khichdi turns out so delicious. Mark my words, you have to try this 🙂

These deep fried beauties, dress up haleem and khichda so elegantly, making it look absolutely enticing and super tempting. And that aroma of these onions are simply out of this world.

How to store fried onions (Birista)?

To store fried onions, all we need to do is, take a clean zip pouch or an airtight container. Transfer the crispy fried onions into it and freeze in a freezer until any use. Whenever, you need it, just pop it out of the freezer, scoop the required amount and immediately put it back into the freezer. No need to thaw it, just throw in the dishes and you are done.

Most noteworthy, please do not store fried onions in refrigerator or at room tempertaure. Strictly, freeze it in a freezer. Beresta when stored in a refrigerator or at room temperature goes rancid within 4-5 days reducing the shelf life and taste of it. Storing them in freezer keeps it absolutely good even for a year.

Frying the onion slices in a big batch definitely makes the job easier later 🙂

Now quickly let's go through how to make perfect birista at home.

How to Make Perfect Birista (Golden Fried Onions recipe) below:

Golden fried onions. How to make crisp fried onions. Birista. Beresta. fried onions

4.34 from 12 votes

How to Make Perfect Birista | Crispy Fried Onions Recipe

Crispy fried onions are beautiful golden deep fried onions, we usually use for making biryanis. Not only biryanis, but these golden fried onions also goes in variety of dishes. i.e. Kormas, curries, kababs, pulaos and so on. These crispy fried onions are called as birista or beresta. Here is how to make perfect birista at home.

Course How to make

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 4 cups

Calories 261kcal

Author Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

For fried onions:

▢ 2 kgs Onions (thinly sliced)
▢ 4 cups Oil (for frying)

Instructions

First, Peel and wash the onions well
Now, pat dry or wipe them and slice them thinly. Be sure to slice all the onions of same thickness. This will ensure uniform fried onion strings.
In a heavy bottom pan or kadhai, heat oil.
Once the oil is hot, drop the sliced onions and them until golden and crisp.
Lastly, spread them onto a clean kitchen towel and allow it to sit for 7-8 minutes.
Transfer them into a clean air tight container and store it in a freezer.
If you are making a batch of say 5 kgs of onions, then fry them in batches.
A step by step photo is posted below in the post.

Notes

The time mentioned above is based on 2 kgs of onions, and will vary depending on the quantity.
The remaining oil need not be discarded, but instead can be stored in air tight container in a refrigetor.
You can very well use it in making your usual daily food.(vegetables, non-veg curries, gravies, etc). It will enhance the aroma and flavour of the dish.

Nutrition

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How to make Crispy Fried Onions Step by Step | Make perfect birista at home:

NOTE:- The time mentioned above is based on 2 kgs of onions, and will vary depending on the quantity. You do not need to discard the left over oil, instead store it in an air tight container in a refrigetor. You can very well use it in making your usual daily food.(vegetables, non-veg curries, gravies, etc). It will enhance the aroma and flavour of the dish.

How to Make Perfect Birista (Crispy Fried Onions Recipe)

Recipes Using Crispy Fried Onions (birista):

How to store fried onions (Birista)?

How to Make Perfect Birista (Golden Fried Onions recipe) below: