Whilst delving into murky waters of the history and origins of the dish Kedgeree, it seems there are two definitive claims. Is it a British breakfast recipe brought back to the homeland after the British Raj of Victorian times, or is it actually a much older and ancient Indian dish that has been part of the wider Indian cuisine for centuries?Kedgeree is also known as kitcherie, kitchari and kitchiri and is a dish consisting of cooked flaked smoked haddock, rice, hard-boiled eggs and can include curry powder, butter or cream and sultanas.
Interestingly, in India, kedgeree can be traced back to around 1340, where it was a dish that included lentils or beans. Hobson-Jobson's historical dictionary of Anglo-Indian words and terms cites Ibn Batuta (circa 1340), who mentions a strikingly similar creation of Moong dahl boiled with rice called Kishri and a further dish named khichiri is found in the book Ain-i-Akbari, during the 16th century reign of emperor Akhbar.
The other highly disputed conception is that it is a Scottish dish, taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj and was then adapted into the local cuisine.
The National Trust for Scotland has published a book called "The Scottish Kitchen", by Christopher Trotter and this has traced back through the aristocratic "Malcolm" line to 1790. However, general opinion remains that Kedegree was and remains an Indian dish, supported by the popularity of the dish throughout the Indian sub-continent.
