Butter Turkey Curry

It’s the weekend after Thanksgiving, and we all know what that means- leftovers. I don’t know how we manage it, but every year, we run out of gravy and sides, and by Saturday are left with just one lonely container of plain turkey. So this year, we made “Butter Turkey”, a riff on the Indian restaurant staple, butter chicken. After a week of eating heavy holiday food, it feels real good to sit down to a meal that’s spicy and bright, with just a little hint of ginger and cayenne. It comes together pretty quickly, with only the small inconvenience of having to use a blender to make the sauce. This recipe is perfectly suited to leftover wild turkey, but you can also cook off a turkey breast fresh, or braise the legs separately to make this meal. Serve with rice, naan, or parathas.

Butter Turkey Curry

Servings: 4

Cook time: 30 minutes, excluding the turkey.

note: labneh is an incredibly rich, creamy, and slightly tart strained yogurt that I’ve been using lately instead of greek yogurt or sour cream in recipes. It’s delicious on its own, and worth seeking out in your local middle eastern market, but is not strictly necessary for this recipe. Feel free to substitute plain yogurt or sour cream if that is what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 inches ginger, roughly chopped

1 ½ tbsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp fenugreek

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 cinnamon stick

1 qt crushed tomatoes

¼ cup labneh, greek yogurt, or sour cream

4 tbsp butter, divided

Leftover turkey or other white meat, such as pheasant or rabbit, chopped.

Method:

Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in 2 tbsp of butter until fragrant and the onion begins to turn translucent. Add tomatoes and all the spices, except the cinnamon stick. Simmer for around 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, adding a little stock or water if necessary, then remove from heat and allow to cool a bit.

Transfer the sauce into a blender and puree. When it is mostly smooth, return to the pan and add the cinnamon stick. Allow it to simmer for a few more minutes, and add water if necessary to bring the sauce to the right consistency. If your sauce is too thin, allow it to reduce. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter and the labneh or yogurt, stirring until incorporated. Last, add the turkey and allow it to warm in the sauce before serving. 

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