PERFECT FRIED ONIONS (BIRISTA,BERESTA)

Fried onions are crucial in the preparation of lots of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cooking eg dishes like Dum biryani and shorbas. Preparing Beresta each time is really time-consuming. Hence it’s easier to make and store this Beresta  in refrigerator or freezer. Sometimes when we fry the onions they turn dark and are not evenly colored. Some may even turn bitter and clump up together. Here is my version of making perfect crispy golden fried onions. The fried onions are evenly colored and not at all oily.

Really easy recipe with a few tricks.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 large onion

• Water 

• Oil to fry 

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Firstly peel and cut the onion into half. Remove the ends of onion( root and stem parts)   that hold the layers of the onion together. Now slice the onions evenly and finely ( can use slicer or mandolin) Separate the slices.

• Soak these sliced onions in water for 2-3 mins

• Heat a pot of water on medium flame 

• Add the soaked onions into the pot of water and bring to a boil. 

• Once water shows the first sign of bubbles, switch off gas ( no need to boil and cook onions) drain and keep aside 

• Heat a pan with oil on the med flame to deep fry the onions.

• Oil should be fairly hot 

• Add the hot onion slices ( drained from the hot water ) to the pan with oil. 

• Be careful as lots of spluttering of oil happens at this stage

• Fry these onions( in batches)  on the med-high flame until golden brown. Keep stirring. It does not take more than 10-12 mins

• Drain and keep on kitchen towel 

• And you are done, your perfect Beresta is ready 

• Cool beresta before transferring to a jar. 

• You can store it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.