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Loitta fry
লইট্টা ফ্রাই (loitta fry): Chittagong and Cox's Bazar Bombay duck fish fried in a crisp spiced coating
Down on the beach road at Cox's Bazar, the fry stalls lay out trays of loitta, the soft, almost jelly-like Bombay duck fish, ready to be coated in chilli and rice flour and dropped into hot oil while you wait. The contrast is the whole point: a shatteringly crisp, spicy shell around flesh so tender it barely holds together. In Chittagong homes it is a weekday treat with rice and dal, and it often appears at iftar. Fresh loitta holds a lot of water, and the usual mistake is to coat it straight away, which makes the crust go soggy and spit in the pan. Pressing it under weight first fixes that. Chef's tip: if you can only get frozen Bombay duck from an Asian grocer, thaw it in the fridge overnight and press it twice as long.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ⅛ lb fresh Bombay duck (loitta), heads and fins removedsplit open and cleaned
- 1 tsp saltdivided
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For the coating
- 4 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
- 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- ¾ cup mustard oil or neutral oilfor shallow frying
To serve
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced
- 2 green chillies (optional)sliced
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅛ lb fresh Bombay duck (loitta), heads and fins removed with ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp lime juice, lay the pieces flat between layers of kitchen paper on a tray, put a board and a heavy pan on top and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes to press out the water.
Step 2: Rub the pressed fish with 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp garlic paste and the remaining ½ tsp salt.
Step 3: Mix 4 tbsp rice flour, 2 tbsp gram flour (besan), 1 ½ tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp ground cumin on a plate and press each piece firmly into it so it is coated all over.
Step 4: Heat ¾ cup mustard oil or neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of the coating sizzles at once.
2 minStep 5: Fry the fish in batches for 3 minutes on each side until deep golden and crisp, and the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; do not turn it more than once, as it is fragile.
12 minStep 6: Drain on paper and serve straight away with 1 red onion, 2 green chillies and plain rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does loitta fry take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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