Making crispy, crunchy, golden-brown birista in the microwave is easier than you think! 15 minutes and 2 ingredients is all you need to make this perfect topping for biryanis and pulaos! 

Birista is nothing but thinly sliced onions fried until golden-brown and crispy. You might have seem birista added in a biryani marinade and as a topping to give it that distinct flavour. But this crunchy goodness is also an integral part of a number of North Indian and Mughlai dishes like korma and other meat-based dishes with a rich gravy.   

Traditionally birista is deep fried and requires a lot of oil to crisp up. But with this method of making birista in the microwave, you can achieve the exact same results – minus the excess oil! 

Apart from biryani, I love adding this to traditional dishes like pulao and ghee rice. But you can add it to just about anything – sandwiches, dals, salads – to take it several notches higher!  

Honestly, I can have birista by the handful because it’s THAT good! And if you’ve never tried it then it’s time to change that! Let’s find out how to make birista in the microwave…    

How To Make Birista In Microwave

1. Start with cutting onion into thin slices, try to keep it as even as possible and gently separate it with your fingers like shown in the video. I generally use a mandolin to do this.
2. Next, mix in about a teaspoon or two of oil and toss the onion slices until they’re thoroughly coated in oil. 
3. Stick these oil coated onion slices into the microwave and cook for about 12-15 minutes, tossing every 2 minutes until the onions turn golden-brown! 
4. Let the onions cool down completely – the key to getting them crispy. They might seem a little soft when they are warm but will crisp up as they cool.

Voila! Your perfect crispy, crunchy, and incredibly delicious birista is ready!

How To Make Birista in Air Fryer

You can absolutely make birista in the air fryer and the results are pretty good! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Cut 2 onions evenly into thin slices, and gently separate the slices.
2. Preheat the airfryer (My air fryer preheats at 190°). Meanwhile, thoroughly coat the onion slices in about 1.5 teaspoon of oil.
3. Transfer the coated onions slices to the air fryer tray in a single layer and air fry at 150°C for 6 minutes, while tossing every 2 minutes. Add in another 2 minutes at the same temperature, but this time toss every minute.
4. Next, hike up the temp to 160°C and air fry for another 3 to 3.5 minutes while tossing every minute. This is an important step that helps birista brown more evenly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Richa’s Top Tricks

• I have used red onions for this recipe as they have a sharp, pungent flavor and can hold their shape through the cooking process.  
• You can use any neutral-flavored oil like canola, rice bran, sunflower, peanut, or vegetable oil for this recipe. 
• Make sure to toss the onions at two minute intervals to make sure everything cooks evenly. This can change slightly from microwave to microwave, so sometimes you might need to toss at 1 minute intervals as well.
• Birista is usually softer when hot but turns crispy as it cools down. 
• You can make a large batch of birista and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. Or freeze in an airtight container for a 6 month shelf life.
• Cool down completely before storing to prevent soggy birista.

Serving Ideas

You can add birista to a lot of dishes to alleviate its flavor and texture. Here are some of my favorite ways to eat it: 

• Khichdi – The crunchiness with the mushy texture of khichdi is SO good 
• Ghee rice – Along with some fried cashews for an instant lift to regular rice. 
• Khow suey – Really adds to the flavour and texture 
• Dal – Lends a beautiful pungent flavor and crunch that tastes like nothing you’ve ever had before!   

Once you make birista in the microwave, I promise you there’s no going back! This is the easiest, most-hassle-free way to make fried onions quickly and without the excess oil – no babysitting required. 

If you try this method of making fried onions, do let me know what you think of it in the comments below. I also love to see all your recreations, so don’t forget to send pictures over on my IG @my_foodstory. 

If you’re looking for more quick and easy cooking guides and kitchen hacks, do check out my How To Make Soft Rotis, How To Make Perfect French Fries, How to Freeze Lasagna, and How to Make Indian Makhani Gravy articles. 

Watch How To Make Birista In Microwave