Easy Leftover Roast Turkey Curry

This simple leftover roast turkey curry is a great way to use up extra food in the days after a big festive meal – an easy midweek dinner that can be ready in thirty minutes. 

Leftover Turkey Curry

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A huge roast turkey is a great solution to feeding a crowd on the big occasions. In the UK it’s usually Christmas or Easter; in the US it might be Thanksgiving. Whatever the date, if you are trying to make sure there’s plenty of meat for uncertain numbers, you are sure to end up with leftovers.

A turkey leftovers curry is one of the classic solutions. The spices serve to perk up a jaded palate after a couple of days of excess and it’s very easy to make. 

It’s also to scale up the recipe for batch cooking or feeding a crowd (bulk up the leftovers with extra vegetables or some chickpeas if you need to). If you have lots of meat but no one to share it, you can always make a large batch and freeze some.

Leftover vegetables from the previous day’s roast can be mixed into the rice along with some saffron and cardamom to make a pilau (pilaf). Any spare cranberry or redcurrant sauce can serve as achar alongside the curry or on poppadoms – you can mix in a little chilli and cumin, but you don’t need to. 

How To Make Leftover Roast Turkey Curry

Step one – Check you have all your ingredients and find everything you need.  This is a very free and easy recipe so don’t worry about exact quantities.  

Step two – Heat a little oil in a casserole dish on the hob, on a medium-low heat. Chop and fry the onion gently so that it is translucent. Then chop and add the garlic. Fry gently for about two minutes. Then add the spices and flour. Add the roast turkey and stir so that it is well coated.

Step three – Cook for another 2 minutes, to get rid of the flavour of the flour and bring out the scent of the spices.

Step four – Add a spoonful of stock, and stir to make a smooth paste. Then add the rest of the stock slowly, stirring as you go. This is important, because it helps to avoid lumps in the sauce.

Step five – Next, add the tomato puree, cranberry sauce and dates if using, and stir well to dissolve.

Step six – Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about a quarter of an hour. Serve leftover roast turkey curry with my easy pilau rice or easy Instant Pot pilau rice and cranberry sauce.

Can I Make a Gluten Free Version of This Dish?

Yes, absolutely! To make this dish gluten free, leave out the regular flour. Put a teaspoon of cornflour or cornstarch in a small bowl and stir in a tablespoon of stock to make a smooth paste. Then add this paste along with the rest of the stock. Don’t worry about paste turning milky white – this is quite normal. It will clear as it cooks so it won’t change the appearance of the turkey curry.

You don’t need to add the stock more slowly when using cornflour; just fry the spices as normal. Once the spices have cooked, simply make the paste and then add it together with the stock, all at once. I find that using cornstarch produces an authentic take-away consistency.

Hints and Variations

• In order to avoid lumps in the sauce, add a spoonful of the stock to the dish and mix well to make a paste with the flour and spices. Then stir in the rest of the stock. Regular and self-raising flour are both fine so use what you’ve got.
• Got some leftover gravy? Great! Use it to replace the same quantity of stock.
• You can vary the flavours by adding some chopped tomatoes with the stock. (Fresh and tinned both work well.)
• For a fruity curry, add a little mango chutney, or try leftover cranberry or redcurrant sauce. Alternatively, serve these on the side.
• To make a richer sauce, add some cream or coconut cream.
• Bulk up leftover roast turkey curry by adding some pulses or vegetables such as roast squash at the start, or fried capsicums at the end of cooking.

Cranberries & Medication

If making this please be aware that cranberries can increase the effect of warfarin and other similar blood thinning medications.  For clarification please seek the advice of an appropriately qualified medical professional.   (NHS  – Considerations – anticoagulant medications)

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5 from 12 votes

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Leftover Roast Turkey Curry

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

A quick and easy way to use up leftover roast turkey, spiced to perk up a jaded appetite. A simple week-night or post celebration curry that can be ready in half an hour. Keto friendly.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Leftover roast turkey curry

Servings: 2

Calories: 157 kcal

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Ingredients

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• ½ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 150 g leftover roast turkey diced into 1 cm cubes
• 240 ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Chop and fry the onion gently, until it is transparent. Crush and add the garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the spices and flour along with the roast turkey. Then turn the meat until it is coated. Fry for about two minutes, until the spices lose their 'rawness' and the taste of flour is cooked out.

3. Add a spoonful of stock, and stir to make a smooth paste. Then add the remainder of the stock slowly, stirring to keep it smooth. Then stir in the tomato puree until it is dissolved in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about a quarter of an hour. Serve the curry with basmati or patna rice (you can add fine-diced leftover vegetables to the rice) and leftover cranberry or redcurrant sauce on the side.

Recipe Notes

• To avoid lumps in the sauce, add a spoonful of the stock and mix well to make a paste. Then stir in the rest of the stock. 
• Got some leftover gravy? Great! Use it to replace the same quantity of stock.
• You can vary the flavours by adding some chopped tomatoes with the stock. (Fresh and tinned both work well.)
• For a fruity curry, add a little mango chutney, or try leftover cranberry or redcurrant sauce.
• To make a richer sauce, add some cream or coconut cream.
• Bulk up the curry by adding some pulses or vegetables such as roast squash or leftover roast root veg at the beginning or fried capsicums at the end of cooking. 
• Please be aware that cranberries can increase the effect of warfarin and other similar blood thinning medications.  For clarification please seek the advice of an appropriately qualified medical professional. 

Nutritional Information

• This recipe is 10 Weight Watchers Smart Points

Nutrition Facts

Leftover Roast Turkey Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 157 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 1071mg47%

Potassium 414mg12%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 41IU1%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 24mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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