These tasty leftover turkey croquettes or rissoles are flavoured with Thai curry spicing and served with a jewelled cranberry grain salad for an unusual and delicious spin on holiday leftovers.
These turkey croquettes (or rissoles or koftas as you prefer) are flavoured with the zingy bold flavours of coriander, ginger and lime and perfect for using up left over Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey or chicken.
See also
- This stock recipe is as easy as it gets. Just turn on the slow cooker and leave it to infuse your stock with the most wonderful savoury flavours. Simply substitute turkey for chicken
- Rich, golden, impossibly delicious stock, made on the stove top in the traditional way. Use it to enhance all sorts of savoury dishes. The recipe works equally well for turkey as chicken
- My leftover turkey recipes roundup has many more easy and delicious ideas for leftover turkey
Accompanied by jewelled cranberry cous cous – which handily uses up some left over cranberry sauce – this lighter meal will refresh your tastebuds after the heavier traditional Christmas or Thanksgiving foods. I like to use a mixture of grains, so here I have used equal quantities of cous cous and bulgur wheat.
The grains can be cooked while the turkey croquettes/koftas chill, but if you prefer, you can use one of those pouches of ready-cooked grain mixes.
I serve this dish with tzatziki (we are in real fusion food territory here!) but you can use whatever dip you would like, whether it’s a Thai nam prik or sweet chilli sauce or another yoghurt dip.
How to make Thai curry turkey croquettes with cranberry grain salad
Step 1 – Break the bread into smaller pieces and pulse in a food processor or blender along with the turkey until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Step 2 – Transfer the turkey and bread mixture to a bowl and add the eggs, ginger, coriander (cilantro), chilli and lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Then mix well with your hands. Using your fingers shape and roll the mixture into 24 walnut sized balls. Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
Step 3 – While the croquettes chill, cook and cool the grains for the salad. Then simply mix together the grains with the olive oil, cranberry sauce and coriander, seasoning to taste.
Step 4 – Fry the croquettes over a medium heat in the oil, turning frequently for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with the jewelled grain salad and tzatziki.
Easy leftover turkey recipes
Here are some more ideas for using that leftover turkey. Remember that you can also substitute turkey in any recipe that uses leftover chicken!
- Left over turkey curry
- Leftover turkey pasta bake
- Leftover turkey biryani
- Leftover turkey stuffed baked potatoes
- Leftover turkey soup
- Leftover turkey pies
- Leftover turkey frittata
- Leftover turkey slaw
For more Thai Curry inspiration you may like my vegan & gluten free Thai Curry Spicy Bean Burgers, Leftover cous cous is delicious fried up with an egg and some extra vegetables as egg fried cous cous.
Thai Curry Turkey Croquettes with Cranberry Mixed Grains
Ingredients
For the croquettes
- 2 slices bread (lightly toasted)
- 300 g leftover turkey
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp ginger root (grated)
- 1 small green chilli (finely chopped)
- 1 tbs fresh coriander (finely chopped)
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- 1 tbs olive oil
For the Jewelled Cranberry Grains
- 120 g cous cous (cooked in vegetable stock as per the packet instructions)
- 120 g bulgur wheat (cooked in vegetable stock as per the packet instructions)
- 3 tbs cranberry sauce
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs fresh coriander (finely chopped)
Instructions
- Break the bread into smaller pieces and pulse in a food processor or blender along with the turkey until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.2 slices bread, 300 g leftover turkey
- Transfer the turkey and bread mixture to a bowl and add the eggs, ginger, coriander (cilantro), chilli and lime zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.2 eggs, 1 lime, 1 tsp ginger root, 1 small green chilli, 1 tbs fresh coriander, salt & pepper
- Mix well with your hands. Using your fingers shape and roll the mixture into 24 walnut sized balls. Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour to firm up.
- While the croquettes chill, cook and cool the grains for the salad. Then simply mix together the grains with the olive oil, cranberry sauce and coriander,seasoning to taste.120 g cous cous, 120 g bulgur wheat, 3 tbs cranberry sauce, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs fresh coriander
- Fry the croquettes over a medium heat in the oil, turning frequently for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with the jewelled grain salad and a dipping sauce such as tzatziki.1 tbs olive oil
Hannah @ Love to Dine
I could never put my finger on why I didn’t like the sound of rissoles – but you’re right, it’s the ‘gristle’ connection! How unpleasant! Croquettes, however, are one of my favourite foods, so this sounds much nicer! I’m not a massive Thai curry fan, but fancy trying this with some fresh sage instead.
Hannah @ Love to Dine
http://lovetodine.wordpress.com