Kedgeree – Indian Rice with Smoked Fish

An Anglo-Indian dish from the old British Empire. Often served at breakfast time, it’s an excellent and copious brunch, but also makes an easy-to-prepare dinner. It’s traditionally made from smoked, salted haddock, but any smoked fish is a good choice. The secret is to poach the fish in milk or water for a few minutes to desalinate it.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced or 1 tsp dry ginger, ground
- 1½ Tbsp Meen Masala, ground
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 500g smoked fish of your choice (mackerel, salmon, haddock…)
- 1½ cups milk
- Juice of one lemon
- Parsley for garnish
Method
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1
Place the eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Chill the eggs in cold water and remove the shells. Set aside.
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2
In a colander, rinse the rice under running water until its clear. Let drain.
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3
Heat a large pot on medium. Add the butter then the onion, sautéing until it’s translucent.
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4
Add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the rice into the pot and stir until the rice is a little yellow.
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5
Add 2½ cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for around 20 minutes.
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6
Meanwhile, cook the remaining onions with the butter in a pot until they’re well-cooked and lightly caramelized. Set aside.
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7
Place the fish in a small pot with the milk. Heat and poach for 5 minutes.
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8
To assemble the dish: slice the eggs into halves or quarters. Remove the fish from the milk, remove the skin and break apart into large pieces with a fork. Place the fish, eggs, and onions in the pot of rice. Pour the lemon juice over the rice, stir delicately and garnish with parsley.