Two Quick recipes for Fish Fry – Bombay Duck & Anchovies

Casually browsing through Italian Painter – Antonio Sicurezza’s work, I caught a glimpse of one of his works – Still life with Anchovies ( 1972 ). It instantly caught my gaze because it featured my favourite food – Anchovies ( Mandeli ). Most of the visits to local bars and clubs have never been without munching on my go-to snacks – Mandeli fry and Bombay Duck ( Bombil or Bambloe ) fry. These two fishes form the ubiquitous accompaniment to drinks on many tables at Bars in Mumbai mainly because of their abundant availability and crispy oily taste which goes well with booze. For me, it happens to be on a relaxing Sunday, that I devour these two preparations with a glass of Lager. Let me share with you the recipes for both. Easy to cook and can be had not only as a snack but as an accompaniment with Rice or Bhakri. I have twisted the original recipe for Bombay Duck fry, which I learnt as an apprentice during my internship days and added some Rice Flour to make it more crispy.

Prep time – 60 minutes
Cook time – 10 minutes
Total time – 1 hour 10 minutes
Bombay Duck Fry
Ingredients :
Bombay Duck ( fresh ) – 500 gm
Chilli powder – 5 gm
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Tamarind Pulp – 15 gm
Vinegar – 10 ml
Oil – 30 ml
Rice flour – 1\2 cup
Method:
1 ) Clean fish and slit them open. Centre bones may be removed or left on as desired. Wash
thoroughly.
2 ) Keep between flat plates with a weight on top to remove excess liquid. Dry on cloth.
3 ) Grind together spices with tamarind pulp, vinegar and salt.
4 ) Rub into the fish and set aside for one hour.
5 ) Spread the rice flour on a dinner plate and coat the fish.
6 ) Shallow fry and serve hot with salad or chutney.

Golden Anchovies ( Mandeli ) Fry

Ingredients:
Anchovies – 18 to 20 pcs
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Lime juice – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder – ½ tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tbsp
Semolina & Rice flour ( mixed ) – ½ cup
Oil – for frying
Salt – to taste
Method :
1 ) Clean and wash the Anchovies. Make sure all the liquid is drained.
2 ) Place the fish in a large bowl, add ginger garlic paste, lime juice and spices and marinate
them well. Cover the bowl with a lid or film and set aside for about an hour.
3 ) Dust the semolina and rice flour on a dinner plate. Drop the fish one each at a time and
make sure to coat evenly.
4 ) Heat oil in a pan and fry till crisp. Drain excess oil and serve hot with Salad or Chutney.
Pro tip – Try pairing both the dishes with Sriracha sauce in case you need it smoking hot.