Bombay Duck Fry The famous indian recepie and the reason for the name Bombay

The first thing that might strike you as you enter Mumbai is the wafting smell of dried fish, which even for a fish devotee like me is horribly off-putting. But hidden in the awful smell is quite a delicacy. Loved not just by us Indians, but also by the British who christened it, this is the “bummalo” or Bombay Duck. But this isn’t a duck, it’s a fish. Bombay Duck is the English name for what is called Bombil in Maharashtra and which was bastardized and called Bummalo by the British and the English-speaking denizens of India.

It may be hideous looking, but the lizard fish tastes sublime, with very soft flesh and one central bone. The fish is salted and dried in the sun, which adds to the perfumed air of Mumbai. The taste of the dried fish is without question an acquired one. And the smell is the reason for its brilliant name.

Legend goes that the fish was named after the Bombay “Dak” or “mail gari,” the cargo trains that used to transport the dried stinky fish from what was known as Bombay, before the city, like the fish, was renamed. Another story states that the pungent smell of the dried version of the fish used to remind the British of the damp wooden floors of the Bombay Dak trains. This is why they bestowed the name on the fish, which later became known as Bombay Duck.

The British used dried Bombay Duck as an accompaniment to Dal and curries, and they imported it from India until 1997. But then the European Union decided to play spoilsport and banned Bombay Duck because its drying technique didn’t match the EU’s hygiene standards. That isn’t surprising if you see the fish being sunned on clotheslines on the dusty, dirty beaches of Mumbai.

Undeterred, a kind British businessman, David Delaney from Hereford, fought for four years to get the ban removed, and succeeded.

Coming to the recipe

Bombay Duck Fry

Spicy and crispy bombil Fry is a yummy fish dish and can compliment any curry or rice.

Its very easy to make. It is basically fish marinated with spices and shallow fry with farina coating.

Ingredients:

8 to 10 Bombil/Bombay duck
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli paste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/2 cup suji/ semolina
Oil for frying

Method:

Clean and cut, and slit the Bombil fish and wash fish gently.
Apply salt and lemon juice and keep aside for 15 mins until the water seperates.
Remove excess water from the dish.
In a bowl take red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix all the spices well.
Rub spices gently on fish pieces.
Keep marinated fish pieces for around 30 minutes.
Take suji in a flat dish. Coat both the sides of marinated fish with suji properly.
Heat oil in heavy bottom shallow pan on slow flame. Add fish pieces and fry till it the colour changes to golden brown.