Bombil Fry
Fresh Bombay duck (bombil) — a highly perishable, gelatinous sea fish — coated in semolina and rice flour with red chilli and turmeric, then fried until crisp on the outside and yielding within. Available only on the Konkan coast, where it is eaten within hours of being caught.
Cuisines
Malvani
Maharashtrian
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 6 | bombil (Bombay duck) fish, cleaned and filleted |
| 1 tablespoon | red chili powder |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | ginger-garlic paste |
| 1 teaspoon | lemon juice |
| — | salt to taste |
| 1 cup | rice flour |
| 1 cup | semolina (rava) |
| 1 cup | oil for frying |
Instructions
- 1 In a bowl, mix red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt to create a marinade.
- 2 Apply the marinade evenly on both sides of the bombil fillets and let them marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- 3 In a separate plate, mix rice flour and semolina.
- 4 Coat each marinated bombil fillet with the rice flour and semolina mixture, ensuring an even coating.
- 5 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- 6 Once the oil is hot, gently place the coated bombil fillets in the pan.
- 7 Fry the fillets for about 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and crispy.
- 8 Remove the bombil fry from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- 9 Serve hot with lemon wedges and onion rings.
Tips
Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying to achieve a crispy texture. Adjust the spice level by varying the amount of red chili powder.