Pomfret (rupchanda)
Pomfret is the fish that cooks in Mumbai, Karachi and Chittagong fry whole and carry proudly to the table. Its flat, round body has few bones and delicate, sweet white flesh. Bengali… 7 Products
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Pomfret (rupchanda)
Pomfret is the fish that cooks in Mumbai, Karachi and Chittagong fry whole and carry proudly to the table. Its flat, round body has few bones and delicate, sweet white flesh. Bengali speakers call it rupchanda, on India's west coast it's paplet, and in Germany it's often sold as butterfish.
We stock several kinds: silver pomfret in 1 kg packs of 4–7 fish, black pomfret in a range of sizes from single portions of 300–450 g up to big fish over a kilo, golden pomfret at 650–850 g, and the round silver moonfish, which is ideal for curry and bhaja. Everything arrives frozen and cooks in minutes.
A marinade needs little more than lemon, salt, turmeric and chilli powder; for tandoori pomfret, reach for a ready tandoori masala. To make it a seafood feast, add some golda chingri or prawns.
Pan-frying pomfret, Mumbai style
- Thaw the fish in the fridge, rinse, pat dry and trim the fins with scissors.
- Score each side three or four times down to the bone so the marinade can get in.
- For two medium fish, mix 1 tsp turmeric, 1–2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, salt and the juice of half a lemon. Rub it in and leave for 20–30 minutes.
- For extra crunch, dust the fish in semolina or rice flour.
- Shallow-fry over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side.
Serve with lemon wedges, sliced red onion and dal with rice. Silver moonfish is the better choice for a curry. Turmeric gives the marinade its colour and ginger-garlic paste its depth.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between silver and black pomfret?
Silver pomfret is paler and flatter with especially fine, delicate flesh, which makes it the classic choice for frying. Black pomfret is darker, grows larger and has firmer meat that stands up well to curries and the grill.
Does pomfret have a lot of bones?
Not really. Pomfret has a sturdy central bone and only a few fine ones, so the flesh lifts away easily once cooked. That makes it popular with children and with guests who aren't used to bony river fish.
What is rupchanda?
Rupchanda is the Bengali name for pomfret and roughly means 'silver moon'. In Bangladesh it is usually fried whole or cooked as rupchanda bhuna in a rich, spicy onion sauce, served with plain rice.
How much pomfret should I allow per person?
One portion-sized fish of 300–450 g feeds one person. From a 1 kg pack of silver pomfret with 4–7 fish, allow one or two per person depending on their size and what else you're serving.