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Bombil fry
Crisp fried Bombay duck
Bombil fry (बोंबील फ्राय) — crisp semolina-crusted Bombay duck, the Mumbai and Konkan favourite
Bombay duck is not a duck at all but bombil, a soft, almost jelly-like fish landed in huge numbers at Sassoon Dock and the Koli fishing villages around Mumbai. Pressed flat, rubbed with chilli and rolled in semolina, it fries up with a shattering crust and a melting middle, and it turns up at Malvani restaurants and Koli homes as a starter or beside dal and rice. Chef's tip: press the opened fish under a weighted plate for 10 minutes before marinating; it squeezes out water so the crust stays crisp.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh bombil (Bombay duck)8–10 fish; or thin fillets of whiting, sole or pollock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 ⅞ oz fine semolina (rava)
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 6 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 lime wedges (optional)to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut the heads off 1 ⅛ lb fresh bombil (Bombay duck), slit each fish along the belly and pull out the soft central bone. Open each one out flat like a book and rinse.
Step 2: Lay the fish between kitchen paper, put a plate on top and weigh it down with a tin for 10 minutes. Common mistake: skipping this; wet bombil spits in the oil and the coating turns soggy.
10 minStep 3: Mix 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and 1 tbsp lime juice and rub it over the fish. Leave for 10 minutes in the fridge.
10 minStep 4: Mix 2 ⅞ oz fine semolina (rava) and 2 tbsp rice flour on a plate. Press each fish firmly into it on both sides so the coating sticks.
Step 5: Heat 6 tbsp sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fish in batches for 2–3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp and the flesh is opaque and flakes when pressed.
6 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve straight away with 1 lime wedges.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bombil fry take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of kashmiri chilli powder?
- Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne (gives the same colour, less heat).
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