menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » How To's / Basics

    How to Make Perfect Birista (Crispy Fried Onions Recipe)

    Cubes N Juliennes Author - Farrukh Aziz.
    · Farrukh Aziz · Modified: Jun 23, 2020 · Published: May 23, 2018
    · 22 Comments
    744 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    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 🙂

    Beresta. Crisp fried onions. how to store fried onions.

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

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

    📖 Recipe

    Golden fried onions. How to make crisp fried onions. Birista. Beresta. fried onions
    4.36 from 14 votes
    Print

    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
    Prep Time 40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings 4 cups
    Calories 261kcal
    Author Farrukh Aziz

    Ingredients
     

    For fried onions:

    • 2 kgs Onions (thinly sliced)
    • 4 cups Oil (for frying)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 730mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cubesnjuliennes on Instagram and hashtag it #cubesnjuliennes!

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

    n
    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.

    More How To Make/Basics

    • Two glass containers of simple ginger syrup with ginger surrounded by ginger root.
      Ginger Simple Syrup
    • A jar of homemade baharat spice with some of the spice sprinkled out on the counter.
      Baharat Spice Blend (Arabic Seven Spice Mix)
    • 3 glasses of frothy ayran drink with fresh mint.
      Ayran - Turkish Yogurt Drink Recipe
    • Bowl of homemade marinara sauce on a gray background. Little baby basil leaves scattered around.
      Homemade Marinara Sauce

    Comments

      4.36 from 14 votes (10 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Zainab Sheik says

      August 03, 2018 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      Such a perfect and beautiful birista. The step by step makes it so easy to follow. It has worked out perfectly for me

      Reply
      • Farrukh Aziz says

        August 13, 2018 at 4:57 am

        Hi Zainab
        Thank you 🙂

        Regards
        Farrukh

        Reply
    2. panno baji says

      February 24, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      can i store it in a airtight container instead of the freezer and whats the shelf life
      thanks

      Reply
    3. Germenn Savannah says

      October 29, 2017 at 1:44 am

      Hi Farrukh,

      This is the most beautiful birista batch I have seen after a looooong time. Thank you for the treat to my eyes and the wonderful memories this brought back. The trick is in getting everything that same even golden red-brown colour without bits of black or uncooked whites peppering the batch. The only other time I have seen this miracle is with my gorgeous friend Asra. No kidding, I would just stand around watching her fry onions :). As someone who cooks (but not at this elevated level), I am now tempted to dive into your blog for more. Happy weekend!

      Regards,

      Germenn

      Reply
      • Farrukh Aziz says

        October 30, 2017 at 3:58 am

        Hi Germenn,
        Thank you so much for the lovely words of appreciation. 🙂

        Regards,
        Farrukh

        Reply
    4. Swaleha P says

      August 09, 2017 at 8:41 am

      How much birista onions will you get in 1.5kg onions?

      Reply
      • Farrukh Aziz says

        August 18, 2017 at 9:16 am

        Hi Swaleha,
        it should approximately give around 3 cups birista 🙂
        Regards

        Reply
      • Imran says

        May 12, 2019 at 3:57 pm

        In kg, it will be how many kgs Fried Onions, to 1.5 Kg-Fresh Onions?

        Reply
        • Farrukh Aziz says

          May 12, 2019 at 4:58 pm

          Yes, 1.5 kgs fresh onions finely sliced.

          Reply
    5. Farrukh Aziz Ansari says

      December 30, 2014 at 11:59 am

      all in one batch Kanika 🙂

      Reply
    6. Kanika Kakar Singh says

      December 30, 2014 at 6:54 am

      Do we put all the onions together or in batches

      Reply
    7. Shobha says

      September 02, 2014 at 2:07 pm

      I used to get this ready from USA.. you have done it so perfect and crisp. I'll give it a try

      Reply
    8. apanangipally says

      September 02, 2014 at 11:14 am

      Awesome!

      Reply
    9. abeerafiakram akram says

      March 11, 2014 at 11:33 pm

      How long can we store on ins in freezer?

      Reply
    10. Navjeet Sachdeva says

      January 12, 2014 at 12:38 pm

      U r darling farrukh. Thanks again.

      Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Hey there, I'm Farrukh !

    Welcome, I am glad you're here! At Cubes N Juliennes, you'll learn simplified, flavorful, and family-friendly dinner ideas. I aim to create easy, globally inspired, and approachable recipes for all home cooks to make every meal special. Come, say Hi, pick your favorite, and let's celebrate food together!

    More about me ➤

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Chinese Beef stir fry in a white pasta bowl with wooden chopsticks on a grey background.
      Beef Stir Fry
    • Close-up shot of red chili paste on black plate.
      Homemade Red Chili Paste In 2 Ways
    • linen lined bowl filled with 5 fried keema samosa with fresh cilantro and a lime wedge
      Keema Samosa (Patti Samosa)
    • Close up shot of homemade apple pie with a crispy lattice crust placed in a dish.
      Homemade Apple Pie
    • A plate full of homemade fried chicken nuggets with one cut open bite in a dipping sauce.
      Homemade Chicken Nuggets
    • Pile of vegetable spring rolls on a white plate garnished with green onions
      Vegetarian Spring Rolls

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    About Farrukh

    Media mentions

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility Policy

    Lets Connect

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

    Sign Up for updates !

    Contact

    Contact me !

    Banner displaying popular websites like Parade.com, Delish.com, sheknows, buzzfeed, yahoo and saveur that has features content from Cubes N Juliennes.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.