Crispy Bombil Fry (Fried Bombay Duck)
Bombil fry is a traditional Indian dish originating from Maharashtra. It’s prepared with bombil, or Bombay duck, as the main ingredient. Despite the name, it’s not a duck but a fish (lizardfish) that’s found in the waters of Mumbai, and hence the unusual name.
During the times of the British Raj, this fish was transported with the mail (daak) from Mumbai, so the name Bombay duck remained in its colloquial form. For this dish, a fresh bombil fish is cleaned and marinated in lemon juice, turmeric powder, and salt.
Crispy Bombil Fry (Fried Bombay Duck)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 6 -7 Bombils Bombay ducks
- 6- 7 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp red chilli powder
- Salt as per taste
- 1 – 1 and 1/2 cup rice flour
- Oil
Instructions
How to Make Crispy Bombil Fry:
- Chop the head, tail, and side fins off each bombil.
- Slit each bombil half way from the stomach to flatten it.
- Wash well in running water to flush out all the waste.
- Place all the bombils on a clean medium-sized kitchen towel and cover.
- Place a heavy weight on the bombils for 1 hr to get rid of excess water and flatten them more. This will help give the fish a good crispy texture when fried.
- Put the salt, crushed garlic, and red chili powder into a bowl with 1-2 tbsp water.
- Mix well and spread on both sides of the bombils.
- For a crispier texture, do not add the water; just mix the ingredients and spread directly on the bombils.
- Coat the fish with the rice flour on both sides and shallow fry on a low heat till crisp.
- Once it is crisp, flip over to cook the other side.