Crispy Fried Onions for biryani - Birista / Beresta recipe - Cooking Carnival (2024)

FAQs

Why are my fried onions not crispy? ›

Onion not cut small enough. Onion has a lot of moisture in it. If it's too thick it'll soften and cook rather than crisp. Use a mandolin slicer to slice it as thin as possible.

"In lieu of crispy French fried onions on top of your casserole, try a different crunchy topping instead," Lonergan says. Lonergan suggests: Butter + Ritz cracker crumbs. Coarsely crushed potato chips.

Caramelized onions are slow-cooked to achieve a sweet and tender result, while onions fried in the French style are quickly deep-fried to become crispy and retain a more pronounced onion flavor. The choice between the two depends on the desired taste and texture in your culinary creations.

When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended. Squeeze out excess water before using.

The perfect temperature for frying foods is 375°F (190°C). This temperature provides the ideal combination of heat and oil saturation to achieve a crispy, golden-brown texture. However, some recipes may require higher or lower temperatures depending on the type of food being fried.

Heat oil or butter over medium-high heat until hot in a large skillet or pan. Use about 1 Tbsp. fat per small to medium onion (you can use just about any fat).

Yes, you can caramelize onions without using oil by utilizing a cooking method known as dry sautéing. Simply place thinly sliced onions in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and cook them slowly, stirring frequently. The natural sugars in the onions will start to caramelize, creating a rich, sweet flavor.

Crisp fried onions

Crispy deep fried onions are called "French fried onions" in Southern cooking of the United States. Smaller and irregularly shaped (from being deep-fried until they are crunchy) onions are an integral part of the American dish green bean casserole.

Cooking onions in water (or watery substances like tomatoes) triggers the release of smelly and unpleasant-tasting sulfur compounds (boiled onions, anyone?). But when oil coats the onions during cooking, it protects against the reaction with water, so that fewer of these objectionable molecules can form.

This means frying gently, stirring often until they are soft enough to squish easily between you fingers but are still not the slightest bit brown. It will take you about 10 minutes to reach this point. Cook until golden or brown. If you want golden onions then turn up the heat a little, but not beyond medium.

Why add salt when frying onions? ›

Adding salt to onions draws out their moisture and softens them. How often have you "sweated" an onion in your cooking life? This predominant cooking technique refers to cooking onion in some fat over low or medium heat, causing it to soften and release some of its moisture (via The Spruce Eats).

You can use either oil or butter to caramelize onions — but ideally, you use a combination of both! I like to use olive oil, and this cooking fat tolerates heat particularly well. Meanwhile, butter adds a distinctly rich flavor to the caramelized onions.

When you add baking soda during cooking it changes the pH which increases the Maillard reaction causing the onions to brown more quickly. The higher pH also causes the onions to soften more quickly, which we cover below when we discuss the texture.

Tip: use apple cider vinegar for white and yellow onions and balsamic vinegar for red onions. Tip: the vinegar serves to deglaze the pan, adds acidity, and brings this recipe together by boosting the tangy and savory flavors of the caramelized onions. If the onions stick to the pan, that's fine.

You need to cook them longer, higher temp before simmering or slow cook for alot longer. I sauté the very finely sliced onions on a very low heat for at least 20mins before anything else goes in the pan.

Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, or a mixture of olive oil and butter. Heat the pan on medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally.