Methi Malai Turkey

The summer is in full swing here in BC, and that means; I want to spend zero time in my kitchen. Weirdly, my family still wants to eat, how inconvenient right? Jokes apart, I can’t be the only mama that does not want to be standing in front of a stove right now. We’ve been grilling a lot, so we can be outdoors and enjoying the sun while prepping meals. The other lifesaver for me right now is freezer meals and staples. 

A couple of weeks ago, I grilled a whole turkey (it was delicious – obviously), but more importantly, we had leftovers! I froze the meat in two portions, white and dark. Plus I made a stock out of the bones to save for a soup. Over the last few years, I’ve realized that for big families, a whole turkey is such a good deal, as long as you are saving the leftovers. (Quick reminder, leftovers need to be stored properly, check out this link on the Canadian Turkey website for details).

I’m going to be turning the white meat leftovers into a Methi Malai Turkey today, and then in a couple of weeks I’ll be sharing a fried rice dish with the brown meat. I love that both of these meals come together in like 20 minutes with minimal time in front of the stove, because I have cooked turkey meat in the freezer. 

Every time I share a turkey recipe on social, at least a few people message to say that they haven’t tried cooking Indian food with turkey before, or in some cases, they haven’t even tried turkey! I get it, as I’ve shared before, my family were not turkey eaters either. You just have to get familiar with cooking it. If you aren’t ready to start with a whole turkey, try making this recipe with turkey breast. You’ll have to cook it first of course. (Try grilling your turkey breasts for added flavour and quick cleanup) Or you could try my Nimbu Turkey, or even a spicy Turkey Manchurian. 

Other than the fact that turkey is yummy, it’s also so healthy. Here are just a few reasons to add it to your diet:

  • It’s packed with high quality protein
  • White meat or dark meat, it’s a lean protein. Try using dark turkey meat in one of your creamy or mughlai dishes for a lower fat option, you won’t even notice the difference from chicken, I promise!
  • Turkey is rich in iron, zinc, niacin, and selenium. These are all great for your hair, skin, and nails!
  • It’s naturally low in sodium
  • For more nutrition facts, visit the Canadian Turkey site!

For me though, beyond nutrition, one of the big reasons to try turkey is variety. A lot of us grew up in homes where we could only eat one type of meat, so turkey adds a bit of a spin to the same old meals. Speaking of new meal ideas….methi malai turkey anyone?

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Methi Malai Turkey


Description

A creamy herbacious gravy made with methi and cream, perfect for juicy bbq turkey pieces. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups of leftover turkey meat (from our Masala BBQ Turkey)
  • 1 cup of methi leave (fresh fenugreek leaves) *see note
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp salt (or as needed)
  • 1 cup water (reserved)
  • 2 cup of fresh cream
  • 2 tbs oil
  • 1.5 cups of chopped onions
  • 1 small tomato – chopped 
  •  1 inch piece of ginger – chopped 
  • 6 cloves of garlic – chopped 
  • 1 green chilli – chopped (optional)
  • 1012 cashews chopped
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbs oil

Instructions

  1. Wash and chop the methi leaves. Keep these aside.
  2. Make the masala paste: Start by heating the oil in a pan and heat the cumin seeds for 60 seconds.
  3. Add the onions to the pan and continue to saute on a low to medium heat until they turn golden brown. (Approximately 5-7 minutes.)
  4. Then add the cashews, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Cook together for 1-2 minutes, keep stirring so the garlic doesn’t stick and burn. 
  5. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes, (or until the tomatoes are soft)
  6. Cool the onion tomato mixture down and grind it to a paste. Keep aside. 
  7. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a clean pan. Add the methi leaves and cook until they wilt. (2-3 minutes).
  8. Add the coriander powder. 
  9. Add the ground tomato and onion paste from step 6, mix everything together and cook on low for two minutes. 
  10. Add in the cream and mix well to combine.
  11. Now add in the turkey pieces and combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat is warmed through and all the flavours are combined.
  12. Finish with garam masala, stir well, and serve. 

Notes

If you can’t find fresh methi, you can substitute with 1/4 cup of dried Kasuri methi, but fresh is preferabble. 

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