Confession: this turkey korma recipe uses leftovers. Because, while Thanksgiving is all about making new foods, it seems like the days that follow are all about making old foods new again. I’ve done it time and time before with leftovers, but it seems to happen all month, particularly during the holidays, when gathering after gathering yields uneaten charcuterie, stale rolls, too many cookies and an extra bottle or two of wine. The cycle continues from weekend to December weekend until Christmas (if you do that) and New Years’ when new food is made once again. This Thanksgiving leftover turkey korma does just that.
This recipe is a bit late for your T-day leftovers game, but if turkey finds its way back on your holiday menu for Christmas and beyond, this is a must-do. Or, if you’ve got your every-week rotisserie-chicken floating around, this works for that equally well.
At the end of the day, this is a bowl full of warmth, spices, and deliciousness, and comes together so fast that it’s like you didn’t cook at all!
Toasting the spices at the start strengthen their flavor, and Greek yogurt pumps the protein and makes it creamy without the richness of the previous day’s feast. Serve this with cauliflower rice to keep it even lighter and to add a little extra veg, which is never a bad thing!
Turkey Korma
Thanksgiving leftover turkey korma is a non-traditional way to use up holiday food, full of fresh and ground spices to completely transform leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive or vegetable oil
- 6 cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick, about 1 ½-inch
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 onion, diced (~1 cup)
- 1 jalapeno, diced, seeds removed
- 1 TB minced fresh ginger
- 1 TB minced fresh garlic
- 3-4 cups diced leftover turkey, skin removed
- 1/4 cup Greek (any fat percent)
- 3 TB creamy almond butter
- 1 cup turkey or chicken stock
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, diced
- 1/2 cup slivered, toasted almonds
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cups cauliflower rice, to serve
Directions
- Step 1 In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, stock and almond butter until smooth. Set aside.
- Step 2 In a deep skillet, add the oil, cardamom, bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook for about 2 minutes until toasted. Add the onion, jalapeño and cloves and let cook until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Add the ground cloves, garam masala, ginger and garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add the diced turkey.
- Step 3 Add the yogurt mixture and simmer about 10 minutes until the turkey is warmed through. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and serve over a bed of cauliflower rice, your favorite type of regular rice or with a side of naan.
