Easy smoked mackerel kedgeree

Smoked mackerel kedgeree is an easy-to-make, delicious, lightly spiced family dinner that’s a balanced meal of rice, veggies & protein all in one dish.

Have you ever had kedgeree? Inspired by Indian cuisine, this classic British dish was traditionally served for breakfast.

But while the Victorians might have been able to stomach a hearty dish of curried rice, smoked fish and eggs first thing in the morning, we prefer to have our kedgeree for dinner! It’s an easy, delicious, and highly nutritious meal that’s basically all made in one pot – almost.

Indian origins

Kedgeree was apparently created in Britain as far back at the late 1700s, by British colonials returning from India and missing the exotic flavours they left behind. The recipe for kedgeree is thought to be based on kichari, an Indian dish of spiced rice and pulses, sometimes served with yogurt.

British cooks ditched the pulses in favour of flaked fish – usually smoked haddock. They also added cream, butter and hard-boiled eggs. The result was a rich and indulgent dish that was typically served as part of a hearty breakfast.

Smoked mackerel kedgeree

My smoked mackerel kedgeree recipe has lightened things up a little by losing the butter and cream. I’ve also made life easier by swapping smoked haddock for smoked mackerel. This can be simply flaked and added to the rice without requiring any additional cooking.

A generous handful of peas adds a serving of vegetables, so this delicious kedgeree is a balanced meal all on its own. Of course some mango chutney, cool creamy natural yogurt, or a finely chopped salad of tomato, cucumber and red onion, all go terrifically well on the side.

Smoked mackerel kedgeree ingredents

Kedgeree is a wonderfully flavoursome dish despite having a relatively short list of ingredients. I use readymade curry paste, for speed. However if you don’t have this you can substitute some fresh garlic and ginger with tomato  puree and spices. See the note at the end of the recipe for the full details.

To make kedgeree with smoked mackerel you will need:

• Brown basmati rice – I prefer brown rice as it has more flavour and texture, as well as containing more fibre and vitamins
• Onion
• Olive oil – or use vegetable oil or even butter or ghee (clarified butter)
• Vegetable stock
• Curry paste – or garlic, ginger and spices as per the note below
• Frozen peas
• Eggs
• Lemon juice
• Smoked mackerel – of course!
• Fresh coriander or parsley to garnish – optional

Smoked mackerel kedgeree – not too spicy!

DH and I both enjoy spicy food. However I wasn’t sure how my daughter Kipper would react when I made this smoked mackerel kedgeree recipe for the first time. I knew she’d like the fish and eggs, and probably the peas, but the curried rice was a bit of gamble.

For this reason, I used a medium curry paste to inject plenty of fragrant Indian flavours without being blow-your-socks-off spicy! If you prefer a hotter or a milder dish, you can easily substitute the curry paste of your choice. Or adjust the amount you use, to customise the kedgeree to your liking. 

The proof of the pudding

Regarding heat and spiciness, apparently I needn’t have worried. Kipper loved the kedgeree with smoked mackerel, and ate her dinner very enthusiastically. Maybe next time I will make it for breakfast!

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📖 Recipe

Smoked mackerel kedgeree

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Smoked mackerel kedgeree is an easy-to-make, delicious, lightly spiced family dinner that's a balanced meal of rice, veggies & protein all in one dish.

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Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine British, Indian

Servings 4

Calories 445 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoon medium curry paste – see notes (or use mild or hot to your preference)
• 185 g brown basmati rice
• 450 ml hot vegetable stock
• 3 eggs
• 250 g smoked mackerel fillets (approximately 3 large fillets)
• 200 g frozen peas
• Juice of half a lemon (or to taste)
• Small handful coriander leaves, roughly torn (optional)

Instructions

 

• 1 medium onion, 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 2-3 tbsp medium curry paste – see notes
  Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan then cook the chopped onion over a low-medium flame for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and continue to cook, stirring, for another minute.
• 185 g (1 cup) brown basmati rice, 450 ml (2 cups) hot vegetable stock
  Add the rice to the pan and stir well to combine. Gently add the hot stock – it will bubble up so be careful! Mix well and scrape up any spices or onions that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce the heat so that the contents are just simmering. Leave to cook for 20-25 minutes or the suggested cooking time for the rice you are using.
• 3 eggs
  Meanwhile, cook the eggs. Place the eggs in a pan of cold water, place on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for 9 minutes then remove from the heat, drain, and cover with cold water. Leave to cool.
• 250 g (9 oz) smoked mackerel fillets
  Remove the skin and any bones from the mackerel. Break into bitesize chunks, and set aside.
• 200 g (1½ cups) frozen peas
  When the rice is cooked, add the frozen peas and stir well. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and allow to stand for 2 minutes.
• Shell the eggs and cut each one into four quarters.
• Juice of half a lemon (or to taste), Small handful coriander leaves, roughly torn (optional)
  Finally, assemble the dish! Add the lemon juice to the rice, then gently stir in the mackerel pieces, taking care not to break them up too much. Arrange the egg quarters on top of the rice and scatter the coriander leaves over before serving.

Notes

If you don’t have curry paste, you can substitute the following: 
4 cloves crushed garlic + 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger + 2 teaspoon garam masala + 1 tablespoon tomato puree + a tiny bit of harissa/crushed chilli for extra heat (optional)

 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Smoked mackerel kedgeree

Amount per Serving

Calories

445

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

17

g

26

%

Saturated Fat

 

4

g

25

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

152

mg

51

%

Sodium

 

558

mg

24

%

Potassium

 

565

mg

16

%

Carbohydrates

 

48

g

16

%

Fiber

 

5

g

21

%

Sugar

 

6

g

7

%

Protein

 

23

g

46

%

Vitamin A

 

2021

IU

40

%

Vitamin C

 

24

mg

29

%

Calcium

 

73

mg

7

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword fish, rice, spicy

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