Leftover Turkey Curry, a delicious meal ready in about 30 minutes. A quick and easy recipe that will help you use up leftover turkey that could otherwise go to waste. It's a mild curry that makes it perfect for a family dinner recipe.
I admit it, I am guilty, I have done it times and times again! Throwing away leftovers happens way too often, more often than I would like. Which is a shame, leftover food can be successfully recycled into fantastic dishes, as easy or as fancy as one wishes.
And if the Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey feast resulted in the unavoidable leftovers, what a better idea than a good old curry recipe to use up any leftover turkey. British people definitely love a good curry, there is no doubt about that. And it's not surprising that curry is actually considered a national dish, regardless of its Asian origins.
From butter chicken, to chicken tikka masala or a good chicken and coconut curry, my taste buds do know how to appreciate a delicious curry. And now it's time for turkey curry!
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Ingredients needed to make leftover turkey curry
- leftover turkey - cubed
- tomato passata - or chopped tomatoes can be a good option too
- onion - either yellow or red onion, or shallots
- ginger puree - for a good kick
- garlic - fresh works the best
- Greek yogurt - adds a fresh touch to the curry
- vegetable oil - for frying the onions
- garam masala, ground cumin & turmeric - a great combo of spices that make the base of this curry
- salt and pepper - to taste
- fresh coriander - cilantro, to garnish
- chicken stock -broth
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Since the turkey is already cooked, all we need to worry is the curry sauce, which is super easy to whip up.
- add the peeled onion, garlic and ginger puree to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped
- heat up the oil in a pan, add the onion mixture and fry until golden
- add the spices and leave to fry for a further 2 minutes
- in go the tomato passata and chicken broth, plus the cubed leftover turkey
- leave to cook with the lid on until the sauce is reduced and thick
- add the yogurt, season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with parsley or coriander
Expert tips
I used tomato passata, but fresh or canned chopped or plum tomatoes could be used instead too. Of course, the very essence of a curry sauce are the spices used. Earthy, hot, deep, and divinely aromatic, these spices give the dish an unmistakable Indian flavour.
You can swap leftover turkey for leftover chicken, in case you had a rather large roast chicken that needs using up. To bring the heat of the spices down, yogurt always does the trick. Although you can also use cream or, for an even more exotic flavour, coconut milk.
It's down to own preference though, for this recipe I only used Greek yogurt, its creaminess making the sauce even richer. This leftover turkey curry is such a delightful dish, ridiculously cheap, but tasty as only a good curry can be.
Because I cooked this turkey curry for the whole family, I did not use any chilli, as my daughters won't like spice, but you can definitely add some red or green chilli, or chilli flakes or powder. Do give it a go!
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Leftover Turkey Curry
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover turkey, cubed
- 1 tin tomato passata (500 ml, 17 oz)
- 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon ginger puree
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh coriander (cilantro) to garnish
- 1 cup chicken stock (broth)
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and onion, and add them to a food processor together with the ginger puree, and blitz until finely chopped.
- Heat up the oil in a pan, and add the onion mixture.
- Fry until golden, then add the turmeric, garam masala and cumin, and give it a stir.
- Fry for 2 minutes so the spices can release their flavours, then pour in the tomato passata and chicken broth/stock.
- In go the cubed leftover turkey, and leave to cook with the lid on until the sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Add the yogurt and chopped coriander/parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot.
- Take off the heat, and serve hot with rice or flat bread.
Video
Notes
- I used tomato passata, but fresh or canned chopped or plum tomatoes could be used instead too. Of course, the very essence of a curry sauce are the spices used. Earthy, hot, deep, and divinely aromatic, these spices give the dish an unmistakable Indian flavour.
- You can swap leftover turkey for leftover chicken, in case you had a rather large roast chicken that needs using up. To bring the heat of the spices down, yogurt always does the trick. Although you can also use cream or, for an even more exotic flavour, coconut milk.
- It's down to own preference though, for this recipe I only used Greek yogurt, its creaminess making the sauce even richer. This leftover turkey curry is such a delightful dish, ridiculously cheap, but tasty as only a good curry can be.
- Because I cooked this turkey curry for the whole family, I did not use any chilli, as my daughters won't like spice, but you can definitely add some red or green chilli, or chilli flakes or powder. Do give it a go!
Nutrition
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Mary says
This curry is a simple to make but beautifully flavoursome.
Daniela Apostol says
That's great to hear!
Lizzie Fenton says
This was a fantastic success, I did add a cheeky can of butter beans , but it’s now one of our favourites, thanks x Lizzie
Daniela Apostol says
Amazing, thank your for your feedback, l am glad you enjoyed it!
RJ says
My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this! The flavors are some of our favorites. I made this a few months ago with leftover turkey, and doing it tonight with leftover smoked chicken.
Daniela Apostol says
I am glad you enjoyed it!
Sydney says
So happy with this recipe as it was my first attempt
Daniela Anderson says
I am glad you liked it!
Gris Levelton says
What size tin of tomatoes did you use?
Daniela Anderson says
The regular tins over here weight 400 grams, about 13 oz