India: Around the World in 12 dishes

I’m using quite a liberal interpretation of the visited country with this month’s Around The World in 12 Dishes, since Kedgeree did originate in India. It’s just been significantly adapted from it’s beginnings as a rice-and-lentil dish and is known in the UK as being a breakfast.

I am not someone who has ever been able to cope well with fish at the breakfast table (I don’t count Smoked Salmon, just so that we are clear) and so had never tasted Kedgeree until earlier this year, when we went for brunch with Lord and Lady A and their adorable girls. But it was a revelation: comforting and nourishing, healthy, satisfying and full of flavour. I have craved it ever since, though never for breakfast. And, as I learned from Lady B recently, you can throw all the prepared ingredients in a dish, covered in the oven, until you are ready to eat, which makes it perfect for an easy supper.

Ingredients

• 500g fish: I used half Smoked Haddock and half Salmon.
• 1 cup of basmati rice
• 1 onion
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 handful of fresh coriander
• 4 eggs
• curry powder (I used mild)

First, I poached the fish in milk. Drain, and flake the fish (removing skin) and put to one side.

Put the rice in a pan, add two cups of cold water and bring gently to the boil with a lid on. Simmer until all the moisture has been absorbed. *This is the first and only time I have successfully cooked rice!*

Finely chop the onion, then fry in a pan with a good amount (2 tbsp) of butter with 1 tbsp of curry powder (I used mild) until soft and golden and heavily scented.

Finally, boil your eggs until they are just hard. Shell and cut into quarters.

In a large ovenproof dish layer up the rice, then onions, then fish and finally the egg pieces, burying them a little in the rice so that they don’t dry out. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon and cover well with foil. Sit in a warm oven until you are ready to eat.

At this point you should finely chop the coriander- you need about 1 heaped tbsp.

Take the foil from your dish and scatter on the coriander, then gently but thoroughly stir all the ingredients together until the rice has taken on a browny-yellow colour and everything is well-distributed. Taste and add lime juice if needed.

Serve with lemon wedge and a bustle. Scrumptious.