In pescatarian love language, the sign of a true blue Mumbaikar is one’s appetite for a good bombil rava fry. Recently, we noticed chefs giving the native fish innovative twists. Bombay Duck (Rs 1,250) on the à la carte menu at Ekaa in Fort is inspired by a Japanese eel dish that is served on rice called hitsumabushi.
When chef Niyati Rao couldn’t get a consistent supply of eel at Sassoon Dock, she switched to Bombay Duck which has a similar texture. “It is served with gor keri made from mangoes, jaggery and soy sauce. ADVERTISEMENT The dish also has spicy pickled cucumbers made using their homemade vinegar; made by boiling it with coriander seeds and Byadagi chillies.
When it cools down, we actually leave the thin slices of the cucumbers in it to marinate for a week,” says Rao, explaining that bombil doesn’t have the nuances of other fish but has an extremely versatile texture. Rao, who grew up in Madh Island, says, “Out of seven days, six days we consumed fish. Bombay duck was always the hot favourite on the table.
I never understood why it was a poor man’s fish. We even ate mudskippers called nivati. It’s a misconception that bigger the fish, the tastier it is.
In fact, the more exercised the fish, the more delicious,” she explains. Chef Gresham Fernandes of Bandra Born also has fond memories of consuming the fish in his childhood. “My favourite is an old-school bombil fry with rava.
East Indians make a dry bombil thecha. My mom also makes a spicy mas.
