Loitta machh'er jhuri—a dry, spicy Bombay Duck recipe from Bengal

Loitta, or lotey fish in Bengal, is known in western India as Bombay Duck or bombil. While loitta in its shutki (dried) form has a cult following, the fresh fish is also savoured for its unique flavour and soft, gelatinous texture. This particular preparation of loitta is very popular in our family. It is made in a variety of consistencies, ranging from a soft gravy (that we set aside for my father), all the way to a dried fudge-like paste (that almost everyone else in our family seems to prefer). If you are still at a stage where you are hesitant to eat shutki (the dried form), fresh loitta can be a very good entry point.

It is also our duty to add that according to one theory, dried loitta used to be transported to Bengal (where it was more popular at the time) by the Bombay Mail, stinking up the post (letters, newspapers, etc.) on the train. The fish earned notoriety among the British as Bombay Daak (the Bangla word for ‘mail’). Hence, the name ‘Bombay duck’.

🌾 We’ve served loitta machher jhuri with plain dudhersar from Amar Khamar, although it’ll probably taste even better with their red or hand-pounded dudhersar 👉🏾 https://go.bongeats.com/amar-khamar-free-shipping (use code BONGEATS23 for free shipping for orders over Rs 750).

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🥘 RECIPE WITH INGREDIENT LIST 📝
https://bongeats.com/recipe/loitta-macher-jhuri/
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🎥 RELATED VIDEOS
🎬 Shutki bata: https://youtu.be/Du6Bsj2s47Y
🎬 Gorom’er shobji diye machher jhol: https://youtu.be/KEFoA6p1FjY
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