Here are some flavourful recipes and a guide to ordering-in the best bombil in Mumbai

Bombil

Bombil thikat ambat

Growing up in a traditional Maharashtrian household, home chef Rashmi Patkar, who runs the home deli The Dabbawali, shares that she learnt to squeeze out flavours from the most basic ingredients at home. "Tangy, hot and an absolute flavour-bomb, the bombil thikat ambat is a classic example of a quick and easy recipe," she shares, adding that she learnt this dish from her grandmother and that it's made by Kudal Deshastha Brahmins.

Ingredients
>> 4 bombil (washed and cut) >> 2 finely chopped green chillies >> 1-1/2 tbsp tamarind pulp >> Finely chopped coriander leaves >> 2 tbsp oil >> 1 tsp garlic paste >> 1/4 tsp haldi powder >> 1/2 tsp chilli powder >> Salt to taste

Method
Heat oil, and add chillies and garlic paste. Sauté until it cooks, and then tip in haldi, chilli powder and salt to taste. Toss in the Bombay duck, and add a little water as per your preferred consistency. Add the tamarind pulp, and cover and cook for approximately one to two minutes. Once cooked, garnish with coriander and serve with rice.

Bombil molho

A heady blend of sweet, tangy and sour, bombil molho is a much-savoured fish pickle among Goans, shares Marian Nicole Dcosta, who runs the delivery venture Aiyo, Patrao! with Ashwin Nair. "The fish is dried for months till it matures. It's then cooked and pickled in the choicest of spices and coconut vinegar. It's stored for over three weeks to a month," she adds.

Ingredients
>> 20 dried bombil (cut into two-inch pieces) >> 20 Kashmiri chillies >> 1 big onion (around 100 gm) >> 1.5 cup coconut vinegar (150 to 200 ml depending on taste)
>> 1/2 cup sugar >> 10-12 garlic cloves >> 1-inch ginger >> 1 tsp turmeric >> 9-10 cloves
>> 1-inch cinnamon stick
>> 1-2 green cardamoms >> 1-2 tsp peppercorns >> 3-4 curry leaves (optional) >> 1 tsp jeera >> Oil for deep frying >> Salt to taste

Method
Soak the dried bombil for a few hours in vinegar. Then, pat them dry and deep-fry in oil till reddish-brown. Grind the remaining ingredients (except the oil) along with the vinegar used to soak the bombil. Make sure the masala paste is finely ground, and don't add any water to it. In a pan, temper the curry leaves in oil and fry the masala till it's well-cooked. The oil should separate from the masala. Adjust the salt, vinegar and sugar as per taste. Once ready, toss in the bombil and stir for a minute till amalgamated. Once cooled, fill the bombil molho in clean glass jars. The oil and spice should help preserve it for a long time. Enjoy it as a pickle alone, or as a side dish with dal/curry and rice.

For a fresh catch

>> Remember, the smaller the bombil, the better the taste and the easier it is to fry, shares Dcosta.
>> Fresh bombil should be white-pink in colour. Dried bombil will be yellowish-brown, she adds.
>> Fresh bombil won't have a depression at the point of contact, nor will they be slimy.

Bombil in the house

>> Chaitanya's bombil fry is hard to beat, especially when you're craving a quick snack.
Log on to: Zomato
Call: 24372243

>> From bombil thikat ambat to bhujana, Patkar offers a range of delicacies from the coast of Malvan.
Log on to: @the_dabbawali on Instagram
Call: 9820681159

>> For a Goan or Keralite spin on bombil, dial Aiyo Patrao!
Log on to: @aiyo.patrao on Instagram
Call: 8450912371

>> Make it a meal with Gomantak Dadar's bombil fry thali.
Log on to: Zomato
Call: 24308700

>> Try the stuffed bombil fry at Gajalee.
Log on to: Zomato
Call: 24950667