Bombil is an exotic fish which is extremely versatile and included in preparing a variety of seafood cuisines. One of the most well-liked dishes of this lizard-like fish is Bombil Fish Fry. The Bombil Fish Fry is a famous restaurant snack and an appetizer that may be found at both fine dining and affordable establishments. The humble and super-soft fish, Bombil, is tossed in a layer of flavourful mix of masalas, drenched for a generous amount of time in a mouth-watering mixture of regional spices, and then shallow-fried. The Bombil Fish Fry turns out to be a crusty pan-fried incarnation with a juicy interior and crispy skin, you can find yourself overlooking its flaws.
The fables narrates that Lord Rama has no good ties with Bombil fishes as these fishes refused to help the Lord while constructing a bridge from the eastern coast to Lanka. The furious Rama grabbed the Bombil with his hand and threw it to the western coast. Hence, Bombil is a fish native to the western coast of Sri Lanka. The suppleness of Bombil’s bones is also attributed to Lord Rama in this tale. Its barely-there-bones quality makes the fish ideal for various dishes as it is easily eatable, but its fragile structure is exposed to crumbling while cooking. It is becoming more and more popular and commanding astronomical rates. Bombil can be eaten in fresh, dried, or pickled forms, although fried bombil is particularly notorious for having a distinctive flavour. Foodies often quote the story of the gastronomic shift from detest to love. Interestingly along with humans, Bombil fish also makes the Penguins drool.
Ingredients:
For Marinade -
- 750 gm Bombay Duck (Bombil Fish)
- ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic-green Chilli paste
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Konkani Fish Masala powder
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 2 tbsp Gram Flour
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 4 tbsp Water, or as needed
For Frying –
- 4 tbsp Oil (Sesame, preferred)
- For Serving –
- 1 Lemon, halved
- Mint Chutney
Method of Preparation:
- Wash, rinse and clean the bombil fish. Drain the water
- Cut the fish into halves. Dry the fish by using a clean cloth
- In a large bowl, combine ginger-garlic-chilli paste, salt, ground turmeric, cornflour, gram flour, Konkani masala, lime juice and little water to prepare the slurry
- Now, add in the Bombil fish pieces and mix thoroughly. Let it rest in the marination for 20-30 minutes
- Heat enough oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot , drop the marinated fish pieces, one-by-one, into it.
- Keep turning and tossing the pieces
- Cook on both sides and until they turn reddish-brown and crispy
- Serve hot with creamy mayo or spicy red chutney!
And there you go, with a mind-blowing recipe for Bombil Fish Fry!
Relish this Bombil Fish Fry with a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a side of green minty. It is also eaten also or as a part of a thali meal with sauce, curry, rice, and chapatis.
