Birista for Biryani | Crispy Onions in Air Fryer

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Can you imagine Biryani without Birista? The crispy fried onions that taste delicious when combined with rice and the spices, makes the Biryani complete.. Traditionally fried, the Air Fryer Recipe uses just 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil and gives the same result without the excess oil.

Birista for Biryani | Crispy Onions in Air Fryer

Birista refers to crispy fried onions. It is used as garnish for Biryani, Pulao, Dal and few other rice preparations. Traditionally deep fried, these crispy onions have been made in an air fryer with just couple of spoons of oil.

Birista is crispy with sweet notes thanks to the caramelization of onions that occurs due to frying. This is added as final garnish to the biryani, which is a layered rice preparation using either vegetables, cottage cheese or meat / poultry. The sweet and crispy bits of birista add flavor and taste to every morsel.

I also add birista to Dal Tadka, Veg Pulao or Peas Pulao. It adds a lot of flavor to the simple rice dishes. If you have not tried it yet, please make some and let me know.

Let me honestly tell you that this recipe has been tested multiple times as I wanted to share the recipe on the blog with perfect process and timings to nail the texture, similar to the fried ones.

Temperature is the key element. Similar to frying, air frying birista is also time consuming as high temperature burns the onions.

Another key factor here is slicing the onions uniformly. Cut thicker juliennes of the onions (see pic below) else it will shrink and lose its volume while air frying.

Also, there is NO COMPARISON between Fried Birisita and the Air Fryer version. The former is by far most delicious but as you know, we are all about bringing healthy twists and opting for smarter ways to cook and reduce the amount of oil in recipes so here is the Air Fryer Version.

This Air Fryer Birista is made without any Cornflour. It has just 2 ingredients - Onions and Olive Oil along with plenty of patience to air fry them to perfection!

How to Make Birista or Crispy Onions For Biryani in an Air Fryer

Peel and Slice the onions. Pat dry with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture.
Pre-heat the Air Fryer at 200 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes.
Place the julienned onions inside the basket and Air Fry at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Do not spray oil initially.
After 10 minutes, open the basket and spray some oil. Reduce the temperature to 120 Degree Celsius and fry for 10 minutes.
Open the basket, you will notice the edges browning and the onions have reduced in volume. Spray some oil and repeat the process of air frying for another 10 minutes.
Open the basket, toss the onions using a spatula. The onions would further need 5 to 8 minutes in the Air fryer before they are ready to be added to the biryani.
Once removed, store in an air tight jar for a week and use as garnish for rice dishes or dal.

Frequently Asked Questions about Birista

How long does Birista stay fresh?

The fried ones, when frozen stays fresh for atleast 6 to 8 weeks. The Air Fried Version stays fresh for atleast a month. I refrigerate it in a glass jar and if making excess for a party, freeze it to use later.

How can you use Birista?

They can be used as garnish for one pot rice dishes like Khichdi, Pulao and Biryani. It can also be added as garnish on dal or kadhi. I also add them to Raita or plain yogurt with salt.

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