Kedgeree is a dish which boasts many years of tradition, fusion and cultural history. It symbolizes colonial India and dates back to the reign of Queen Victoria, created by one of her personal chefs for Florence Nightingale. As a child I grew up eating a dish called ‘kichdi’ for breakfast which is a soft-cooked, curried, rice dish. It was only once I trained as a chef that I learnt that kedgeree is actually a take on kichdi but with the addition of smoked haddock and eggs.
Ingredients for 5 Serves
- 350 smoked haddock fillets
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 peppercorns
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 15 fresh curry leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Trinity Paste
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée/paste
- 200 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 37 0 g/2 cups basmati rice (rinsed)
- 3 tablespoons single/light cream
- freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander/cilantro
How to Make Traditional Indian kedgeree recipe
Put the smoked haddock fillets flat in a pan, skin-side down. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and cover with cold water. Gently simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and gently lower in the eggs with a spoon. Boil for 7 minutes, then remove using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of iced water. Leave them in the water to cool, then peel and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, add the mustard and cumin seeds and allow to sizzle and crackle. Add the curry leaves and toss the pan slightly to infuse all of the flavours in the oil.
Add the onion and salt and stir well. Cook until the onion has become soft and golden-brown. Once the onion has softened, add the trinity paste. Fry until the raw aroma has disappeared. Add the turmeric and curry powder, stir well and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add a splash of water if the pan gets too dry.
Add the tomato purée/paste to the pan and fry out for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well in the pan. Gently simmer the sauce base for 3–4 minutes.
Add the rice and coat the grains well in the sauce mix. Add 1 litre/quart of water and bring to the boil, then reduce to low heat, place a lid on top and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and set aside, covered with the lid, for 10 minutes. The excess water in the pan will steam and be absorbed by the rice. I prefer this method of absorption for cooking rice rather than boiling the rice because it gives the grains a better texture.
Once all of the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked, add the cream and lemon juice and stir well until the rice is all coated.
Remove the skin from the haddock and gently flake the fish into big bite-sized chunks. Peel and quarter the eggs. Add the haddock flakes and egg quarters into the rice mix and gently fold in.
So finally!! Your Kedgeree recipe is ready to be served, Sprinkle over the freshly chopped coriander/cilantro and serve.
