Kedgeree

Kedgeree is a dish of British origin which is prepared using flaked fish, parsley, boiled rice, butter, curry powder and sultanas. The dish is also known as kedgaree, kitcherie, kitchri, or kitchari. This dish is believed to have been derived from a popular Indian rice lentil or rice bean delicacy khichri. This dish was already a staple in Indian subcontinent by mid 14^th century when Ibn Batuta arrived in India. Some experts believe that kedgaree is an excellent example of Anglo-Indian culinary mash up.

History of Kedgaree
In  the14^th century, Ibn Batuta in his travelogue mentioned about a dish called kishri which was prepared by boiling the lentil with rice and he also referred to a recipe from Ain –a Akbari.

It is believed that kedgeree was introduced as breakfast dish in Britain by colonists towards the end of 19^th century.  The British modified the basic khichri recipe with the addition of flaked fish and hard boiled eggs to suit their taste preferences. The British were also fond of the wetter variant of kitcherie which resembled plain rice porridge.  This was perhaps one of the few breakfast dishes (before the refrigeration times) which were prepared by using the leftover food.

There is also an alternative view regarding the origin of kedgeree where some experts believe that the dish might have actually originated in Scotland and it was taken to India by the colonists and there it became part of Indian cuisine.  The National Trust for Scotland’s book, The Scottish Kitchen, has traced the recipe to one of Malcom's popular cookery books which were published in 1790.

Kedgeree Recipe and Its Variants: Introduction, Ingredients and Method of Preparation
The typical kedgeree recipe underwent large alterations over years but some of the ingredients and methods of preparation remained the same. Following are some of the popular kedgaree recipes followed in Britain:
 

• Plain Kedgaree:  This is the simplest variant of kedgeree which is cooked almost like kichri with green gram, rice, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and butter. The dish preparation begins by frying the onions in butter. The fried onions are kept aside and other ingredients are fried and boiled with water in the same pan and when done dish is removed from  fire and served after garnishing with fried onion. This kedgeree variant was most popular with early colonists who migrated to UK after a short duration stay in India. This variant is still very popular with some Anglo-Indian masses residing in Britain.

• Kedgaree : This particular kedgeree variation is now most popularly followed in much of Britain. The recipes for this now famous variant largely vary but it is commonly prepared using basmati rice, butter, smoked haddock, onion, chili, crushed cardamom pods, curry powder, hard-boiled eggs, chives, and coriander. The rice is cooked separately and fish is broken into flakes after boiling in water. The butter is melted in a pan and rest of the ingredients except coriander, chives, and eggs are fried and cooked together. The cooked fish and rice are added towards the end of cooking time and topped with halved hard-boiled eggs, coriander and chives. Sometimes tuna fish is also substituted in the place of haddock.