Food special: The Bombay Duck's history with Mumbai

ldquoBombay duck is not a duck itrsquos a fishrdquo How often have Mumbaikars found themselves correcting unfamiliar folk about this unique coastal delicacy The Bombay Duck scientific name Harpodon nehereus integral to the cityrsquos cuisine is called lsquobombilrsquo in MarathiDrying Bombay Duck near the Varoli river Gujarat where Zoroastrian boats first landed in India Pic courtesyPerzen PatelThis eellike fish is found off Indiarsquos west coast all year It is salted and dried in the sun and is characterised by a strong smell and distinctive piquancy When the British ruled over the island city they called it lsquoBummalorsquo Usually 68 inches long the drying is done on scaffolds made from bamboo poles fixed in the sand where bars are tied with thick ropes horizontally in lines and one above the otherRaw Bombil with Goan Rechado Masala Pic courtesySoares Goan FoodAccording to lore it earned its name during colonial rule in India This lizardfish was transported in trains that carried mail that were called Bombay Daak The term was bastardised to lsquoduckrsquo and the name stuck as Bombay DuckGoan home truthsIn the monsoon only seasoned players offer fresh bombil The dried and stored bombil becomes a quick replacement for fish in most homes Johnny Soares of Soares Goan Food tells us ldquoGoans Parsis and Maharashtrians use dry Bombay Ducks a lotDry Bombil cooked in Rechado Masala PIC courtesy Soares Goan FoodRoasted Bombay Duck when eaten with rice is a popular poor manrsquos meal We make Bombay Duck Green Chilly Fry a dish that the Portuguese introduced in India We also make Bombay Duck with the rechado masala typical Goan masala accompanied with potatoesHarnai Bombil Pic courtesySoul FryThe drying process happens in summer Once dried it is sliced into three to four pieces and stored in jarsrdquo Soares who runs a home catering business recalls ldquoEven though we consume it all year round in Goan homes it is a monsoon specialPackets of dry Bombil stocked in many city stores Pic courtesyMeldan DrsquoCunha Soul FryOn many rainy days guests would show up suddenly and we had no time to pick up meat from the cold storage To avoid displeasing guests dry bombil would be the best quick fix nonvegetarian dish The dry bombil would be placed in a pan onions were added followed by tomatoes that were sauteacuteed the dish was ready in a jiffyrdquoldquoWe pay Rs 400Rs 500 per dozen in the rainsrdquo informs restaurateur Meldan DrsquoCunha of Soul Fry He tells us about packets of dried bombil and masala made by the cityrsquos Koli community that make for a delicious snack at home Often this works as an ideal substitute for fresh fish It lasts for two days if refrigeratedldquoWhen my mother would make Bombil I was given the task of searching for a stone in our compound that would be used as weight to drain out the water after cleaning the bombil We make a typical Maharashtrian version of the fresh bombil at Soul Fry called the Harnai Bombilrdquo he sharesBoomla with grandpaParsi food blogger and entrepreneur Perzen Patel aka The Bawi Bride reminisces her childhood days ldquoCooking lsquoBoomlarsquo as the Parsis call it was the domain of my grandfather For a strange reason our family ate Boomlas only during the monsoon From June to August it was a weekly tradition to cook BoomlasI donrsquot use the word lsquotraditionrsquo lightly because for my grandpa his Boomlas were preciousrdquo She rewinds to her times with her grandpa when she would accompany him to buy the fish from Grant Road fish market and her keen observations of his kitchen exploitsldquoThe only work that the ladies pitched in would be the slicing of the Brun Pav and the chopping of the lemons the meal was incomplete without these two ingredientsrdquo she says adding that he would cook the fish on his old kerosene stove onlyldquoHe believed they didnrsquot taste the same when cooked on the gas stove One by one each member would get their share of Boomlas the sanctity of the Boomlas had to be maintained Grandpa never allowed another dish to be served alongsideIt was the only time when members were allowed to start their meal alone as we couldnrsquot risk the Boomlas getting cold and soggy After he left us I continue to get Boomlas at least once a week I donrsquot use the kerosene stove anymore I do feel incredible joy as I cut into them it was something we always did togetherrdquo she reminiscesEat it like an East IndianHome chef Sybil Rodrigues who takes pride in collecting traditional East Indian recipes tells us that the East Indian homes love their Bombay Duck too ldquoWe source it from Virar in April We clean the heads and the side and dry these under hot sun for three to four daysI preserve these by placing them in a container Once inside hay is stacked over it is stored away until the entire lot is over as this helps to make it last longer We call the dish Sukhe Bombil fryrdquo she explains