Bombay duck is a type of lizard fish found in Asia and India. It can be used as a condiment, main course or crunchy snack. It is usually dried in the sun before being cooked in various ways, such as being ground into a pulp or fried. It is considered a delicacy in Indian cuisine and is often paired with curries. The origins of its name are unknown.
While Bombay duck may look like a type of bird dish, it’s actually a type of lizard fish. Small fish is a favorite food in Asia, India and other parts of the world. It can be used as a condiment, main course or crunchy snack.
Scientifically called the Harpodon Nehereus, the Bombay duck is also known as the bummalo. Fish is most abundant in the Ganges Delta, Arabian Sea and South Asia. A small, narrow fish that is almost transparent in color, it measures 15 to 20 cm in length. The slimy sea creature is caught between the months of November and December, while processed from December to March.
There are several ways to cook Bombay duck. Before preparing the dish, the fish is usually washed, deboned and dried in the sunlight. To dry the fish, the traditional method involves placing it on bamboo poles dipped in the sand, held in place by thick horizontal ropes. This type of drying method can be seen in many food markets.
Some chefs prepare bummalo fish by grinding its body, and occasionally its soft, chewable bones, into a pulp before cooking it. Others prefer to beat the fish and fry it. In India and the UK, the Bombay duck is filleted without the tail, skeleton, fins and head. After the meat is dissected into rectangles, they are soaked in a brine solution, dried for two days, pressed, dried further, then bundled and packaged for sale.
In Indian cuisine, bummalo is considered a delicacy and is usually used as a savory condiment, often paired with curries. When cooked until crispy and crunchy, it can be eaten as a snack. It can also be made into a pickle. In China, fish is commonly fried with flour, salt and pepper. Once cooked, the aroma of the dish is very strong and usually suppressed by an airtight container.
The origins of the dish’s name are officially unknown, though stories vary by region. Some say it is after the Hindi word for mail, mate, due to the pungent smell of the dish which is reminiscent of the wooden carriages of the Bombay mail train. Others argue that the term bummalo fish sounded rude when offered as a meal, so the Victorians took to calling the food a name similar to Digby’s chick, or dried herring. Other names for food in various global regions include bamaloh, loita, bombil and bumla.
A common bombay duck recipe calls for the desired amount of fish to be cut into small pieces and fried in oil. The pieces are then drained and combined with a sauté of pre-fried golden onions, garlic cloves and dried chiles. After a few minutes of frying, lemon juice and salt can be added to taste before serving.
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