Fried Onions Recipe
Servings: 20 people
Calories: 20kcal
Fried Onions or Birista are thin onion slices deep fried in oil till golden brown and crisp. Use them for making biryani, soups, dals, sandwiches. Because, they make those dishes tastier. So, here's how to make fried onions at home in no time!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg onions
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the onions and wash them. Cut the onions into thin slices using a sharp knife. Make sure the slices are almost equal in size to ensure even browning. You can use a mandolin slicer or a food processor to slice the onions.
- If the onions are very sharp, you can soak them in cold water for 15 minutes before slicing. You can also wear safety glasses while slicing the onions.
- Take a large kitchen towel and spread the onion slices over it. Leave on the counter for a few hours to get rid of the excess moisture.
- Heat 8–10 cups of oil in a large pan. The oil should be enough to cover the onion slices. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Never add the onion in less hot oil. They will not become crispy afterward.
- Fry on high heat for 8-10 minutes. Frying on high heat for 8-10 minutes is important to get rid of the moisture in the onion slices. Now simmer the heat to low and fry till onions are golden brown. Keep stirring the onions very frequently.
- Once the onions are browned, remove them on a plate lined with kitchen tissue. Keep in mind that onions will brown slightly more even after taking out from the oil.
- Spread the Birista over the plate lined with kitchen tissue. This step is important to get crispy fried onion. Leave the Birista on the plate for 4-5 minutes. It will become crisp in this time. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Use thinly sliced onions to make Birista or Beresta. They get fried evenly and the result is crispy.
Make sure that the oil is hot, while you add the onions, otherwise, the onions will soak oil and will become soggy. The oil should be enough to cover the thinly sliced onions well.
Be very careful once the onions turn brown in color. They burn in a wink.
Once you fry the onions, spread them on a kitchen towel or paper towel so that it soaks up the extra oil and moisture.
Also, perfectly fried onions take time and patience, therefore let them fry on low heat. Do not be in hurry and fry them on high heat, otherwise, they will get brown early without being crispy and have a high chance of getting burnt.
The oil should be enough to cover the onions, otherwise, it won't fry well.
The onions will become browner after you take them out from the oil, so make sure you do not over fry them.
Before storing them, let them cool down fully.
The leftover oil can be used to make dosa, uttapam, or parathas. It has a lovely aroma of fried onions.
Some people add cornflour to the onion to make them crispy but I never do that and my onions still turn out crispy and stay crispy for a long time.
Nutrition
Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 73mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg