There is a ridiculously long list of new recipes on my whiteboard that I want to share with you, but that requires re-making them, picking...
Read MoreTaj Mahal Turkey Curry
http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2012/11/28/taj-mahal-turkey/
Sure, I could have just called this “Leftover Turkey Curry,” but where’s the fun in that?!
In my search for worthwhile things to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, I found this recipe on Feed52, then messed with it to make it even tastier and paleo approved. Kind of like Country Captain Chicken, this dish combines curry, raisins, and poultry to make a meal that’s comforting and a little spicy, so in less than 40 minutes, you can distract yourself from the fact that you’re eating turkey. Again.
Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to share some Taj Mahal Fun Facts:
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It’s one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It took 20,000 workers 22 years to complete its construction, a number commemorated in the11 mini tombs in front and 11 mini tombs in back of the Taj, and the 22 steps leading to its entrance.
Construction was completed in 1653, which is represented by eight blocks of gardens on each side of the Taj and 53 fountains on the surrounding grounds.
Workers used 1000 elephants to transport building materials — and 28 different types of semi-precious and precious gems were used to decorate the Taj.
The color of the Taj seems to change based on the light at different times of day and night. According to some stories, that’s meant to depict the different moods of a woman.
Surprisingly, there’s no indication if anyone involved with the Taj Mahal ever enjoyed a curry made from leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Taj Mahal Turkey Curry
Serves 2-4 | Prep 10 minutes | Cook 30 minutes | Whole30 compliant
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder (I like Maharaha Curry from Penzeys.)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound leftover cooked turkey (or chicken), diced (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup raisins
1 can (14.5 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
cooked spaghetti squash
optional garnishes: sliced almonds, minced cilantro
Directions:
1
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add onions, pepper, and bay leaf. Toss to coat veggies with oil and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2
Add the curry powder, thyme, and tomato paste. Stir vigorously to blend the fat in the pan with the curry and tomato paste. Fry about 3 minutes, then add the turkey, raisins, tomatoes, and apple sauce. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, 20-30 minutes until sauce is thickening and flavors meld.
3
Add the coconut milk; stir to combine and heat through. Serve on top of spaghetti squash and sprinkle with garnishes.
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February
11
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Oh, this looks great, Mel. I don’t have any leftover turkey, but I may buy a pound of it (or chicken) just to make this. Thanks!
looks like a good way to use leftover pork too. guess what’s for dinner tomorrow.
sounds great
This looks great! And I love how all your recipes are automatically Whole30 compliant (: Like AKM, I have no leftover turkey, but will be buying some just to make this!
yum! had this tonite for dinner. hearty and delicious!
Just had this for dinner. A – mazing! It’s going into heavy rotation. Thanks!
Wow, I just made it tonight and it was SOOOO GOOD! My husband was raving about it! Thank you for this amazing creation!
Hooray! I’m glad you liked it! I have some leftover chicken in the fridge, and I think I know what I’m doing with it 😉
Made this for dinner tonight. It was so delicious! The sauce is very velveety. I will be making this recipe again soon! Thanks for another amazing recipe Mel!
I’m a bit behind on the news 😛 but this is awesome. Made it three times so far, used ground turkey and omitted the onions/garlic due to FODMAP issues – still tastes awesome.
Hi Mel!
I’ve been reading your blog and lurking on your site in anonymity for a few months now. Have decided to do a whole30 (after a particularly sugar-filled celebration weekend, headache- and stomachache-city!) starting today. I made this curry and some spagetti squash for the very first time… sooo delicious! I’m looking forward to leftovers tomorrow and checking out more recipes over the next 30 days!
Thanks for such an awesome site!!
So glad you found me — thanks for commenting and letting me know you’re here!
Congratulations on Whole30-ing. I hope you have a great month! Glad you liked this recipe! It’s really comforting and gloopy-good, right?
I started my first Whole 30 yesterday, and have been looking at recipes for my leftover turkey. Will be making this later, for dinner. Thank you!
Congratulations on Whole30-ing! Sending you all good vibes for an awesome month.
Should have included this in last post. Do you think this will freeze well, minus the spaghetti squash? Thanks.
Yes, it should hold up pretty well in the freezer and defrosting process.
I will have to try this. My favorite way to eat turkey is with Awesome Sauce! I love that stuff. Well Fed 2 is my go to. Thanks for sharing and for the awesome recipes.
YAY! Glad you like the Awesome Sauce. I made myself giggle for a few days when I got that idea. *I* think I’m really funny; Dave just rolls his eyes 🙂
I have mad the Taj Mahal chicken and it is awesome!
can’t type though made
Melissa says make Taj Mahal Turkey, and I make Taj Mahal Turkey! Had this for dinner tonight – YUM! Thanks Melissa, I was seriously worried my leftover turkey would end up going to waste. 🙂
Really glad you guys are enjoying this recipe! It’s a nice change from the Thanksgiving flavors that I crave on Turkey Day — then can’t get rid of fast enough on Saturday 🙂
My trainer has challenged me to try the Whole30, and linked me to your website for recipes and food ideas. And THIS is definitely on my list of things I am making. I can’t wait. 🙂
Happy Whole30-ing to you! Enjoy the recipes!
Hi Mel, I made this curry for my family last evening and I was shocked that my 12 & 14 year old sons loved it! It is so simple and tastes better than any curry I’ve had in restaurants. Just received Well Fed 2 in the mail today. Looks great!
Anything I could sub for the tomatoes and tomato paste? Devastatingly, I’m allergic. This looks incredible and I sooooo want to try it!
There’s not a sub for the tomatoes, but you can leave them out. It will be more traditional yellow curry-ish, but it should still taste good!
I made this the other night for dinner…OMA (A is for Amaterasu :D) this was FANTASTIC!! and so simple to make. It was even better the next day for lunch…
Right on! So glad you liked it! And I love when recipes taste better on Day 2. Most tomato-based sauces do that, and it is magic.
This looks so yummy! Going to the store now to purchase some of the items I don’t have in my pantry. Can’t wait to start cooking this for tonight’s supper!!
Sadly, my husband and son do not like curry. Is there a replacement for it or should I just leave it out?
Also, I am so in love with your site. This is my 2nd Whole 30 and you are always my #1 resource!
If you leave it out, the whole thing will taste pretty bland. How do they feel about ginger? You could use ginger and garlic to make it have a little zing.
We love ginger & garlic! I can’t wait to try.
Thanks again for your wonderful site.
Great! I hope that works for you. Let me know!
Thanks for your terrific site & books! I haven’t gotten through them yet but excited to. Q about this curry: could I do it in slow cooker with uncooked chicken? Thanks!
I haven’t tried making it that way, so I’d be guessing, but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. You might want to reduce the liquid so it doesn’t get too watery. My biggest complaint about the slow cooker with stews/braises, is that for me, they get too watered down. I recommend that if you try this, you brown the chicken first, or it will be gray and unappetizing after sitting in the slow cooker.
I made this last night. From Well Fed 2. I have to say it was a HUGE hit with my 3 year old son and my husband. This will definitely be showing up on my regular dinner rotation. Thank you Mel!
I’m really happy you and your family like it. Awesome! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I’m on day 6 of Whole30 and was hunting around for some good recipes to try. I came across this and thought I’d give it a try (I LOVE Indian food). I did substitute chicken and did not add raisins or the tomato paste (didn’t have any in the house), and it seemed to turn out fine.
Within 5 minutes of cooking, I had three roommates standing in the kitchen looking at the pot, sniffing. Let’s just say they realllyyyy wanted to try some. 🙂 I’ll definitely be making this regularly!
Heh. Glad it was a hit! It’s very forgiving — you can totally play around with the ingredients, based on your preferences and what’s in your fridge.
Hmmm… sort of odd directions. I must be missing some liquid? There doesn’t appear to be any added liquid in the recipe but it calls for boiling and letting sauce thicken. The canned tomatoes had a little liquid but nothing you could bring to a boil.?
Hmmm… I don’t know what to say. I’ve never run into that problem. Did you use the correct size can of tomatoes? Should be 14.5 ounces.
Yes… hmm… It still seemed to work out in the end so no worries 🙂 I’ve never had so much good food in my fridge at one time!
Just made this again, the first batch seriously saved me from throwing in the Whole 30 towel! Last time I didn’t have thyme on hand so I subbed winter savory (summer farmer’s market find.) Definitely different flavor, can’t really describe it but maybe richer than this batch? The thyme is delicious too, but will use savory the next time. Also not a fan of raisins so I used currants. Thanks so much!
Have you ever tried this over cauli-rice? I’ve loved it as-is, but I just used up all my spaghetti squash and thought it might work. I’ve never made cauli-rice so hopefully it will work ok!
This is great over cauli rice! Use this oven method — it’s even better than stovetop. http://meljoulwan.com/2014/03/25/roasted-cauliflower-rice/
Do you think this would work with pear sauce instead of apple sauce? We have an apple allergy here. Thanks!
Absolutely! That will be delicious.
Ok Mel, I’ve made quite a few of your recipes, and they’ve all been huge winners, but tonight is the night I post a reply! (I know, I totally should have posted replies for the others)
My husband and I just started Whole 30 last Monday and I went in hoping to find that one recipe that no matter what would get me through because it’s so freaking awesome. THIS is that recipe! Indian is my one of my favorites, and this is quick, easy, and sooooooooo yummy! Thank you so much, you’re like, the flavor maven!
I’m so glad you like it — have a wonderful Whole30! Definitely let me know how you feel at the end of the month. And have fun with the food 🙂
This was awesome! Truly easy and delicious–we served ours as suggested with roasted cauli-rice and lemony spinach. The sweetness was surprising and delicious.
Just made this tonight for the first time, and it is ridiculously delicious!!!! I had to control myself to not keep eating. This one is a keeper like all of them! Amazing!!!
I’m glad you liked it!
I just made this for lunch again today… it is so quick to make with pre-cooked chicken and very forgiving as you say. I realized at the last minute I was out of coconut milk and used almond milk instead. Still good! One of my favorite dishes ever.
Just made it and didn’t completely read the recipe before I started. Used a whole can of paste instead of 1 tblsp? Still tastes pretty good though. Added more apple sauce, curry, thyme and chicken broth. Looking forward to making it the right way next time. I love your expert use of spices. And I’ve found no one who explains how to cook the recipe as well as you….I just need to read it correctly! ?
Oof. I bet it tasted really tomato-y. Hope it was OK. Definitely try it again with just a little tomato paste… it adds depth of flavor but not tomato flavor 🙂