Did you know that around 7 million tonnes of food goes to waste at Christmas in the UK alone, including approximately 2 million turkeys? In fact, a lot of the food that goes to waste is still edible and good enough to eat, so why are we throwing it all away when it could go to good use? Leftovers can make just as tasty meals as the Christmas dinner you dive into, and you can create some delicious masterpieces for the whole family to enjoy with the scraps left on your plates. As turkey is one of the most expensive additions on your dinner table at Christmas, it would be a shame to waste good quality meat when it can be enjoyed in numerous other ways. So, to get your tastebuds tingling and give you an Indian inspired twist over the festive season, we have pieced together a few of our favourite left over turkey recipes!
Indian Inspired Left Over Turkey Recipes
When you have a shed load of turkey leftover from the famous Christmas roast, your first thought is to tuck into a turkey sandwich – for the next two weeks! But what if we told you that you could enjoy your turkey in a more flavoursome and delicious meal? Well, as a local favourite Indian restaurant in Milton Keynes, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to make this Christmas one to remember, by feeding those hungry bellies with lots of spice! So, if you have an abundance of turkey in the kitchen and no idea what to do with it, why not give these recipes a go? Remember that you can always swap the turkey for leftover chicken or even veggies:
Turkey Tikka Masala
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Tikka masala in all form is the UK’s favourite curry dish, so it would only be right to start our list of boxing day meals with a turkey tikka masala. Instead of eating a plain and boring turkey sandwich, your turkey is coated in a thick layer of tikka masala sauce and beautifully grilled to give you a rich spiced flavour. To further enhance your dish, the turkey is then coated in a creamy and tomato sauce for a heart-warming meal perfectly paired with basmati rice or a garlic naan. This dish is perfect for the whole family, because you can make it as spicy or mild as you like by adding more or less chilli powder. For those that like theres with a nice hint of spice, we recommend topping your dish some chilli flakes.
Now, before we get into the recipe, don’t be scared away by the long list of ingredients, because we promise that you can find most of them in your cupboard, and it’s super easy to make!
Ingredients For The Tikka:
- Left over turkey
- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 120ml of Greek yoghurt
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of minced ginger
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp of ground coriander
- ½ tsp of turmeric
- ½ tsp of cumin
- 1 tsp of paprika
- ½ tsp of mild chilli powder
- pinch of cinnamon
- ½ tsp of salt
- ½ tsp of black pepper
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp of minced ginger
- 1 tsp of garam masala
- 2 tsp of ground coriander
- 2 tsp of paprika
- 1 tsp of cumin
- ½ tsp of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of tomato puree
- 1 red bell pepper
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 120ml of water
- 180ml of double/heavy cream
- 3 tbsp of ground almonds
- 1 tbsp of brown sugar
Ingredients For The Sauce:
Instructions To Make:
Firstly, you will need to start by making the turkey tikka, which is a lot easier than you may think. All you will need to do is combine all of the tikka ingredients together in a large bowl apart from the turkey and oil, and then combine them together. Then, add the turkey and toss it in the bowl with the ingredients until fully coated. Place this to one side while you make your sauce.
To make the sauce, add the oil and butter into a large frying pan or skillet and place it on medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion into the pan and cook for around 4-5 minutes until it becomes soft. Then, add in all of your powdered ingredients along with the tomato puree and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, making sure that you continuously stir. Add in your chopped pepper, tinned tomatoes and water, stirring continuously so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Bring this to the boil and then simmer for around 15-20 minutes until it becomes thick.
While your sauce is simmering, heat a griddle plate until it is hot and brush with a little oil. Place your turkey pieces onto the griddle and brush with the two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Cook until it becomes brown, turning over every now and then to make sure both sides are well grilled. Once done, place the turkey into a bowl.
When the sauce is almost ready, stir in the cream, ground almonds, sugar and turkey, cooking for another 5 minutes to heat it through. Top with coriander and serve with your choice of rice!
Roast Turkey Biryani
Cooking time: 35 minutes
If you’ve spent the whole of Christmas day on your feet and looking for a quick and easy solution to ensure your boxing day is calm, then this roast turkey biryani is the perfect dish. Using just one pot to cook the whole thing, creating a dish bursting with flavour couldn’t be any easier! Traditionally, biryani is layered with rice and meat, all mixed together to create one delicious meal, giving you a low maintenance solution to feeding the family this Christmas time. While you can pair it with your choice of rice, we would suggest opting for basmati rice for its softness.
Biryani is a favourite dish at our restaurant in Milton Keynes, and many of our clients enjoy immersing themselves in the immense and flavoursome experience that this dish has to offer. So, if you’re a fan of the biryani yourself, then this the perfect dish to try with your leftover turkey:
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ tsp of turmeric
- ½ tsp of garam masala
- ½ tsp of paprika
- 4 cardamom pods
- 300g of leftover turkey
- 300g of basmati rice (or rice of your choosing)
- ½ cup of frozen sweetcorn
- ½ cup of frozen peas
- 550ml of chicken stock
- 2 tbsp of cranberry sauce
- Handful of baby spinach leaves
- Lemon slices
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions To Make:
This is an extremely easy recipe for you to try, and can even be complete using a hot pot or pressure cooker. However, we’re going to teach you how to make it in one pot for a fool proof dish!
Start by turning the oven on to 180°C. Then, pour your oil into a flameproof casserole dish so that it can go in the oven and on top of the stove. Place your onions into the dish and fry them for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and the spices, tweaking the amount of spice you put into the dish depending on how hot or mild you prefer. Again, fry this for a few minutes until the onions have become completely soft and infused with the spices.
Stir in the turkey and uncooked rice, mixing well so that the turkey becomes covered with the spices. Then, pour in the stock and cook in the oven for 25 minutes or until the rice has fully absorbed the water. Take the dish out of the oven and stir through the cranberry sauce, spinach, peas and corn, adding a small amount of water and then returning to the oven for 5 minutes.
Serve with a slice of lemon and enjoy!
Turkey Jalfrezi
Cooking time: 40 minutes
If you’re someone that loves taking on the challenge of a spicy dish, then we have you covered with this hot and spicy turkey jalfrezi. A jalfrezi literally means ‘hot-fry’ which is a little like an Indian version of a stir fry. In fact, when the dish was first introduced to the UK, colonial households enjoyed this delicious dish by heating up cold meats and vegetables, so we thought it was the perfect fit for our leftover inspired dishes. If you were to head over to India, then you are more likely to find the jalfrezi as a relatively dry dish, but when served in our restaurant at home with our Indian takeaway in Milton Keynes, you can experience the full flavours of India through a jalfrezi sauce, perfect for wiping up with some naan bread.
This jalfrezi recipe is delicious when served with a naan, homemade dhal or even a carrot and mustard seed salad!
Ingredients:
- 300g of leftover turkey
- ½ a large green bell pepper
- 8 green chillies (or less if you don’t like the heat)
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp of ginger
- 3 tbsp of peanut oil and an extra tbsp for frying
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tbsp of cumin
- ½ tbsp of ground coriander
- ½ tbsp of turmeric
- Water (you’ll be adding a tbsp at a time)
- 1 tsp of garam masala
- 4 grinds of black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp of tomato puree
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sugar
- Salt to taste
- 10g of chopped coriander leaf
Instructions To Make:
Now, this one is going to be a little more complex than the other recipes we have featured, but it is well worth the effort, as its simply delicious! You will need to start by preparing your ingredients, which includes cutting your cold turkey into large chunks.
Once you have prepared your ingredients, place a tablespoon of peanut oil into a wok over high heat and add the bell pepper, frying for two minutes. Remove the peppers from the wok and set them aside for the time being. Place the remaining oil into a heavy-bottomed pan and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, put your bay leaf into the pan and wait a few seconds before adding the onion, and then stir fry for about 4 minutes so that the onion becomes translucent but not brown.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the garlic and ginger into the pan with the onion and fry for a minute. Add in the cumin, coriander and turmeric, frying for another minute. Pour about 45ml of water into the pan and stir thoroughly until well combined. Add in your garam masala, black pepper, puree, lemon and sugar, stirring well. Simmer this mixture for 10 minutes, if the sauce becomes too dry then add a tablespoon of water at a time.
Using the back of a wooden spoon, pulp the onions in the mixture to thicken the sauce – you can leave a few if you wish. Add in the chillies and bell pepper, simmering for another 5 minutes, adding a little water if necessary. Finally, add in the chunks of turkey and coriander and gently stir together. Add a few pinches of salt to taste, and then serve with a sprinkle of coriander and chilli flakes.
An Indian Twist To You Christmas Leftovers
Nothing wows your guests more than a delicious meal prepared at home using some of the worlds most exquisite flavours and spices. Indian cuisine is one of the best ways to achieve this, with a multitude of dishes and spices used to create a combination of amazing flavour that will leave you and your guests wanting more. So, instead of throwing away unwanted turkey or enduring a boring turkey filled boxing day meal, why not give some of these tasty and unique dishes a go?
