Golden kedgeree with flaked smoked haddock, fluffy rice and quartered boiled eggs on a white serving dish

Victorian Britain · United Kingdom

Mrs Beeton's Kedgeree

Name: Mrs Beeton's Kedgeree
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 400g smoked haddock; 300ml milk; 1 bay leaf; 200g basmati rice; 60g butter; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 tsp mild curry powder; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered; Handful chopped parsley; Juice of 1/2 lemon; Salt and pepper

From Book of Household Management · Isabella Beeton · 1861

Verified from original source

Smoked haddock, boiled eggs and curried rice — the classic Anglo-Indian breakfast, Victorian style.

Historical note: Beeton's version brought this Anglo-Indian breakfast dish into every Victorian household.

History

Kedgeree originated in British India as an Anglo-Indian adaptation of the Indian dish khichri (rice and lentils). British colonials transformed it into a breakfast dish featuring flaked fish (typically smoked haddock), rice, hard-boiled eggs, and curry powder. Isabella Beeton's 1861 recipe helped popularise it in Victorian Britain as a fashionable breakfast or supper dish for the middle and upper classes. It became a staple of British breakfast buffets and remains popular today, though now often served at brunch rather than breakfast.