Loittamacher Jhuribhaja/Spicy Bombay Duck Curry

This delicious fish curry hailed from East Bengal/Bangladesh through immigrants known as "Bangaal". They arrived in India seven decades back and brought incredible flavors from their native land which have been passed down through generations. Lottya mach/Bombay duck fish, fresh or dried is one of the delicacies Bangaal can't stop drooling over. It is a slimy textured, about 7-8 inches tall, narrow shape, gray/pink colored fish sold different regions in India by different names. 

Loittya/Bombay duck is a very delicate fish, easily breaks down during cooking and makes its bones semi-soft and edible. Some cook this fish gravy type curry with eggplant and potatoes. But my Ma always prepared dry type Loittya/Bombay duck curry only because of its slimy texture. She made it very frequently whenever available in the market with lots of onion, garlic and some green chilies because we all loved it to the core. This fish curry recipe really takes me back down memory lane. It is still one of our favorites till date.

Our local Asian market carries Bombay duck in frozen packet and pretty good quality. We don't get this fish cleaned here. No worries. It's quite easy to clean. Chop the head and discard it. Pull the gut out and cut into small pieces. Rinse under cold water. This fish releases lots of water during cooking process, so drain as much water as possible after washing to reduce cooking time.

This fish has a unique flavor so it is cooked with only onion, garlic, ginger, hot chili, salt, turmeric, mustard oil and savored with plain hot rice. Read more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_duck  how this fish got it's English name "Bombay duck" which has nothing to do with duck.

Ingredients~
2 1/2- 3 lb. Bombay duck, cleaned and gutted
4-5 tbsp. oil (preferably mustard oil)
2 cups onion, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp minced ginger
6-7 hot chilies or as per heat tolerance
1/2 salt or adjust as per taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
One fistful chopped cilantro

Method~
Heat mustard oil in a deep heavy bottom pan. Brown onion, ginger and garlic. Add in tomatoes and chills. Saute until tomatoes are soft. Now add in fish pieces and turmeric. Reduce the flame and let it cook on medium heat. Keep stirring in between so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. The fish will disintegrate after a while. Stir continuously until dries out. Add in salt and stir well. Have a taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and stir well. Serve with rice and enjoy! Happy weekend~~~