Turkey Masala To Tinkle Your Taste Buds

When my children were younger and all lived at home - I usually made a roast dinner at the weekends. However, they would get more excited about the roast chicken sandwiches the day after, than the actual roast dinner itself! This misplaced excitement reminds me of my favourite clip from ‘You’ve Been Framed’ when a little boy opens his Christmas present and shouts “yeaah, cardboard, cardboard” jumping around ecstatically!

Even though they are all adults now, my children still love their sandwiches made with leftover roast chicken or turkey. However, I have to say - I feel that leftovers get bad press and that they need a new PR machine. Upcycling is the new in-thing and ‘second-hand’ goods are now being referred to as ‘pre-loved’ so why can’t we do the same with food?...Rather than calling them leftovers, I have decided to proclaim that we should now call it pre- loved food – ahhh now doesn’t that sound better? Will it catch on? Whether it does or not, I am going to share with you some fabulous recipes made with leftovers, oops I mean pre-loved food.

One of the plus points of cooking with pre-loved ingredients is that it doesn’t take too long, well that because the food is already cooked – obviously. Ok, so you have made a big Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, but due to all the restrictions, many of us only had a few people around the dinner table this year, so that probably means more food left over than usual. Some of my closest friends only had 2 or 3 people for Christmas dinner, and a couple of my friends celebrated on their lonesome. I don’t really want to get too melancholy and dwell on the negatives but 2020 has been a very difficult year indeed. Let’s hope that 2021 brings us more joy and some sort of normality…I for one am looking forward to the simpler pleasures in life, like having a coffee and catch up with friends OR as I like to call it ‘a chai and a chat’

So, this week I want to share a couple of recipes with you to make the most of your pre-loved food. I am going to share with you how to spice up your veg and potatoes with my ‘BUBBLE AND SQUEAK PATTIES’ and how to make a tasty ‘TURKEY MASALA’ that will tickle your taste buds!

Have a healthy and happy new year.

Recipe For Bubble and Squeak Patties

For this recipe, remember that 50% of the overall ingredients must be potatoes – the starch in the potatoes is needed to help the little patties stick together.

Makes 15 to 18 patties. Cooking Time: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 400g preloved mashed, roast, crushed or boiled potatoes
• 150g preloved sprouts, cooked cabbage, carrots, broccoli, etc.
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp of coriander leaves
• 1 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 4 tbsp of gram flour
• Oil to pan fry

METHOD

1. Using a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, except the gram flour and oil and mash everything together with a potato masher or fork.
2. Using slightly damp hands, take a couple of tablespoons of the mixture and shape into patties. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge for 20 mins.
3. To make the coating, add the gram flour into a small bowl and mix with water until you have a thin batter (similar to the consistency of double cream).
4. Now gently dip the patties into the gram flour batter, covering both sides and pan fry.
5. To pan fry, use a heavy based non-stick pan, add a tablespoon of oil and let it heat up. Gently place a few patties in the pan. Cook on one side for 2 mins, then turn over and cook for another 2 mins.
6. Serve with a salad and some condiments of your choice – ENJOY!

 

Recipe For Turkey Masala

This is probably one of the most popular curries to make with excess turkey from Christmas dinners up and down the country. Once cooked, the curry will last for 2 to 3 days when stored in the fridge. The secret of the flavours in this dish is the way the masala sauce reduces as it cooks to give a depth of flavour that one associates with a good curry.

Cooking time 30 mins. Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

• 400-500g of pre-loved turkey meat, sliced
• 2 medium sized onions - thinly sliced
• 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 4 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic – or 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 cm cube root grated ginger - or 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp of fresh coriander (stalk and leaves)
• 1½ tsp salt

METHOD

1. Using a heavy based steel pan, add the oil and onions and fry for 7 to 10 minutes or until they are a golden brown. On medium heat, add the ginger and garlic, stir in and cook through for 1 minute, and then add a splash of water.
2. Add chilli powder, garam masala and salt, stir fry for 30 seconds. Now add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes and keep stirring. If the sauce sticks, add a dash of water.
3. Add half the coriander, turn heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes allowing all the flavours to infuse.
4. Add turkey pieces, stir gently making sure that all the meat is covered in the lovely curry sauce.
5. Add 50ml of boiling water, the other half of the coriander, stir through & simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

PARVEEN'S TOP TIP
If you would like your turkey masala to be hotter. Just add 2 or 3 chopped green chillies at stage 3.

 

 About the author

Parveen Ashraf is a passionate foodie, author, TV chef and entrepreneur and newspaper columnist. Her humorous and relatable writing style is always a winner with SaveCo customers and her recipes and blogs are amongst the most viewed pages.  

For more recipes please visit: ParveenTheSpiceQueen.com, follow her on Instagram and subscribe to the Youtube channel.