FISH AND HARD BOILED EGGS KEDGEREE

Fish Kedgeree which was very popular in the olden days,  is an Anglicized version of the Indian Kitchri or Kitchidi, which was prepared with rice, lentils, raisins, etc along with the addition of Fried Fish Flakes and hard boiled eggs. It is said that Kedgeree was first introduced in India by the Scottish Soldiers. Fish, either steamed or fried was a regular item for breakfast during the Raj Era and the cooks tried to incorporate it with local dishes. Eventually the Fish Kedgeree became a hot cooked spicy dish, with the addition of various spices and was invariably included in the breakfast menu all over the Commonwealth.  Minced meat was also later added as a variation.

Serves 6     

Preparation Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

½ kg good fleshy fish cut into thick slices

¼  kg raw rice or Basmati Rice

4 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

3 onions sliced finely

3 green chillies sliced lengthwise

100 grams Moong dhal or Tur Dhal (Or any other lentils)

1 teaspoon spice powder or garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin powder

100 grams Sultanas or Raisins (Optional)

2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

2 Bay leaves

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon chillie powder

1 tablespoon lime juice / lemon juice / vinegar

6 whole peppercorns

4 hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters.

Wash the fish and cook it in a little water along with the bay leaves and salt for about 5 minutes or till the pieces are firm. Strain and keep aside.  Add sufficient water to the left over fish soup to get 6 cups of liquid.  Remove the bones and skin from the boiled fish and break into small pieces. Wash the Rice and dhal and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a suitable vessel and sauté the onions lightly. Add the slit green chillies, whole peppercorns, spice powder, cumin powder and chillie powder and sauté for a few minutes. Add the rice and dhal and mix well. Now add 6 cups of the soup, salt, limejuice / vinegar, sultanas, chopped coriander leaves and salt and cook on high heat till boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered till the rice and dhal are cooked and slightly pasty. Gently mix in the cooked fish, butter / ghee and the hard-boiled eggs. Cover and let the rice draw in the fish for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold with Chutney or Lime Pickle.

 

ANGLO-BURMESE KHOW SUEY / KHOW SUEY

This Anglicized Burmese dish is a wonderful, delicious mouth watering concoction of noodles, spicy chicken curry and lots of toppings. While the noodles and chicken curry form the base of this dish, it allows each one to choose their own toppings. As the name suggests, it is a Burmese dish, but was brought into Eastern India when many Indians fled from Burma and crossed over into India during World War II.

Serves 6

Preparation time 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken boiled and shredded (discard bones)

1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns

2 Bay leaves

2 pieces cinnamon bark (about one inch in size)

Salt to taste

2 medium sized onions chopped fine

2 teaspoons garlic and ginger paste

1 teaspoon chillie powder

1 cup cooked and mashed moong dhal (yellow split lentils)

2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garam masala / all spice powder

2 teaspoons red chilli powder

1 cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

500 grams thin egg noodles

For the garnish:

1 cup spring onions chopped fine

2 onions sliced finely and fried golden brown

4 tablespoons chopped garlic fried in oil

1 cup boiled eggs chopped into tiny pieces

5 tablespoons dry prawn powder (make by coarsely grinding dry prawns)

1 cup chopped coriander leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pan and sauté the onions, black pepper corns, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks till the onions turn golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chillie powder and garam masala / spice powder and fry for another 5 minutes. Mix in the cooked moong dhal / lentil paste, coconut milk, fish sauce and salt and cook till the chicken is tender. Keep aside.

Boil the noodles in sufficient water with a little salt. Strain and run cold water over them. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil over the noodles to keep them from sticking, and toss to mix well. Keep aside.

Now heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a small pan till very hot. Turn off the flame and add 1 tbsp of red chillie powder to this oil. Keep this chillie oil aside to cool.

Serve each person individually in deep bowls as follows:

Place a single serving of noodles in the bowl. Top generously with the chicken curry prepared as above. Now top up with the chopped fried garlic, fried onions, chopped spring onion, and boiled egg, one on top of the other as per preference. Drizzle with chillie oil and sprinkle dry prawn powder according to taste. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Add a dash of lemon to complete. Have a bowl of chopped green chillies in vinegar as an accompaniment

The Khowsuey can also be served with plain egg noodles and the chicken curry in a big bowl. The toppings of

Fried Garlic, Fried Onions, Chopped Spring onions, Chopped boiled eggs, Chopped green chillies in vinegar,
Lime wedges and Ground dry shrimp powder could be served in small bowls and each person could top up their own bowls as per their preference

DUCK BUFFARD

This is a very old recipe for Duck Buffard. Duck Buffard was always prepared for Breakfast on Christmas Day in KGF.

1 whole duck (dressed) about 1 ½ kg in weight jointed and cut into 6 or 8 big pieces

1 large cabbage cut into quarters

2 carrots cut into slices

2 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

4 large onions sliced

6 green chilies slit lengthwise

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon chopped ginger  

½ cup vinegar

3 tablespoons oil      

1 teaspoon spice powder

2 teaspoons chilly powder

1 teaspoon pepper powder

2 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon pepper corns

Take a large pan and cover the bottom with the cabbage. Add the duck and all the other ingredients.  Add 4 cups of water. Cover the pan and cook first on high heat then simmer on low heat for about an hour till the duck is well cooked and it gives out a nice aroma. Serve hot with bread or Rolls.

Note:  knollkol, cauliflower, carrot, radish, turnip, potato or any other vegetables could be made use of  if desired.