Instant pot kedgeree

My instant pot kedgeree is the perfect breakfast, but will also make a great main meal.

This meal has become my families most requested instant pot meal.

Kedgeree is a rice dish with smoked fish which originated in colonial India. It has now become a hugely popular British recipe classic. Kedgeree started out during the time of the British Raj as khichdi which is a dish from the Ayurvedic khichari diet.

People returning from their time in the subcontinent brought the dish to Britain, where it quickly became a national staple. Kedgeree started out as a humble dish of rice and lentils, however it slowly changed into the dish we know today, which includes smoked fish and boiled eggs.

Traditionally kedgeree is served for breakfast but we prefer to have it as our main meal of the day.

How to make kedgeree

My instant pot kedgeree is really easy to make and because the eggs are cooked in the pot at the same time, you can have the whole thing ready with minimal washing up in less than half an hour.

First soak the rice in a bowl of cold water. Whilst the rice is soaking, set the pot to sauté and add the oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and fry until softened. This should take around 3 minutes.

Now add the curry powder and season to taste. Drain the rice and add it to the pot before mixing together with the onion and spices.

Add the fish and stock and then put in a tall trivet. Put the eggs on the trivet (you can add as many eggs as required up to around 12).

Put the lid on and set on high pressure for 4 minutes. When the time is up, leave under pressure for another 4 minutes and then do a quick release. When the pin drops, remove the lid and then remove the eggs and put them in a bowl of cold (preferably iced) water for around 1 minute.

Remove the trivet and stir the lemon juice into the kedgeree. Now peel the eggs (instant pot eggs peel so much easier than traditional hard boiled eggs). Serve the kedgeree with an egg cut in half on the side.

There you have it - a simple but really tasty recipe. great for breakfast, but good enough for a main meal.

What are the ingredients for kedgeree?

There are relatively few ingredients in my instant pot kedgeree which makes it a great and easy meal to make.

1. Rice
2. Olive oil
3. Butter
4. Onion
5. Curry powder
6. Salt and pepper
7. Smoked haddock
8. Water
9. Eggs
10. Juice of 1 lemon

All readily available ingredients with the possible exception of the smoked haddock, however I have some alternative suggestions below.

Are there any substitutions possible if I don't have all the ingredients?

It should be easy to make plenty of substitutions which makes kedgeree a fairly flexible recipe:

• I used Basmati rice which is traditional, however any long grain rice will work well. unfortunately brown rice is not suitable for this recipe as it takes longer to cook.
• Instead of olive oil, you could use most vegetable oils, with rape seed (canola), sunflower and groundnut oil being especially good. Alternatively you could replace the olive oil and butter with ghee which will add a nice nutty taste.
• I used mild curry powder, however you could use whichever strength suits your taste requirements.
• Smoked haddock is traditional, however most smoked fish will work fine. Some people will even make kedgeree with salmon which is usually easy to obtain.
• I used free range hen eggs, but I'm sure duck eggs would also work well with the same timings (room temperature eggs).

Plenty of variations available to make this a really flexible and customizable recipe.

What should I serve with kedgeree?

If you're having it for breakfast, I would suggest serving with a nice strong cup of tea. We had it for our main evening meal and served with broccoli, however any leafy green vegetable will go well with kedgeree.

Is kedgeree a healthy choice?

Kedgeree is a great balanced meal, with plenty of protein from the fish and eggs. all the ingredients are natural with no artificial additives. I would suggest that my kedgeree would make a great addition to any normal balanced diet.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SCALE THE RECIPE UP OR DOWN?

The recipe will fit in well to all instant pot sizes as it is, and will also half well for all pots especially the 3l (3qt). You could double the recipe in the 6l (6qt), 8l (8qt) and 10l (10qt). Whichever you do, all timings would remain the same.

I used medium eggs at room temperature in the video. If you want your eggs runnier, I would suggest using larger eggs or eggs from the fridge so that they take longer to warm up.

If you're fortunate enough to have any leftovers, they will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and kedgeree will freeze well for around 6 months. If you are planning to freeze, I would recommend serving with freshly made hard boiled eggs. I generally reheat kedgeree on the stove top using a frying pan, however you could also use the sauté function on the instant pot or a microwave. Kedgeree is also often enjoyed cold.

For some interesting information about kedgeree, please click here.

If you have enjoyed my recipe for instant pot kedgeree, please check out some of my other rice and curry recipes:

• Instant pot chicken jalfrezi
• Instant pot chicken dopiaza
• Instant pot paella recipe
• Instant pot chicken tikka masala recipe
• Instant pot chicken fried rice

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave them in the box below and I would be delighted to help.