Equipment
Ingredients
Turkey Curry Base
- 600 g turkey thigh fillets, diced into 3cm cubes
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 2 brown onions, finely chopped
- 30 g ginger garlic paste
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g ground coriander
- 3 g ground turmeric
- 3 g kashmiri chili powder
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 200 ml coconut milk, full fat
- 100 ml water
Bombay Potatoes
- 500 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed into 2cm pieces
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 5 g mustard seeds, black
- 3 g ground turmeric
- 3 g cumin seeds
Onion Pakoras
- 150 g gram flour (chickpea flour)
- 2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 50 g fresh spinach, chopped roughly
- 1 green chili, finely minced
- 3 g garam masala
- 80 ml water
- 500 ml oil for frying
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 757 kcal
- Protein
- 47 g
- Carbohydrates
- 62 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 259 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 141 mg
- Potassium
- 1959 mg
- Calcium
- 171 mg
- Iron
- 11.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 257 mg
- Phosphorus
- 710 mg
- Zinc
- 6.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 85 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 54 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.28 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.44 mg
- Niacin
- 10.6 mg
- Folate
- 85 mcg
- Water
- 428 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the cubed potatoes in a pot of salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender but holding their shape (par-boiled). Drain and let steam dry.
For the curry: Heat oil in the heavy pot. Add chopped onions and sauté over medium heat until golden brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste to the onions, cook for 1 minute, then add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Stir constantly for 30 seconds to toast spices.
Add the raw turkey cubes. Stir to coat in the spices and sear slightly on the outside.
Pour in crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until turkey is tender. (Check internal temp reaches 74°C/165°F).
While curry simmers, make Bombay Potatoes: Heat oil in the frying pan. Add mustard seeds; when they pop, add cumin seeds, turmeric, and the par-boiled potatoes. Fry until potatoes develop a crispy crust.
Prepare Pakora batter: In a bowl, mix sliced onions, spinach, gram flour, chili, garam masala, and salt. Gradually add water while mixing by hand until a thick, sticky batter coats the vegetables.
Heat frying oil to 180°C/350°F. Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil. Fry in batches until dark golden brown and crispy.
Finish the curry with fresh cilantro. Serve the curry alongside the hot Bombay potatoes and crispy pakoras.
Chef's Notes
- If using leftover roast turkey, skip the 'searing' step for the meat. Make the sauce fully first, then fold in the cooked turkey in the last 5 minutes just to warm through.
- For the Bombay potatoes, ensure the potatoes are completely dry after boiling before adding to the hot oil to ensure they crisp up rather than steam.
- Gram flour (besan) is naturally gluten-free and high in protein, making the pakoras a substantial side dish.
- To test oil temperature without a thermometer, drop a small piece of bread in; it should sizzle and brown in 30 seconds.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store curry, potatoes, and pakoras in separate airtight containers. Pakoras will lose crispness.
Freezer: 2 months — Curry freezes well. Potatoes and pakoras do not freeze well.
Reheating: Reheat curry and potatoes on stove. Reheat pakoras in an oven or air fryer at 180°C to recrisp.
Troubleshooting
Pakoras are soggy and oily
Cause: Oil temperature was too low when batter was added
Fix: Increase heat and fry remaining batches; reheat soggy ones in air fryer
Prevention: Use a thermometer to ensure oil is 180°C/350°F before frying
Turkey is dry
Cause: Overcooked or lean breast meat used instead of thigh
Fix: Shred the meat into the sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb moisture
Prevention: Use thigh meat and do not boil vigorously; gentle simmer only
Cultural Context
This spread represents a classic Anglo-Indian family feast structure. The curry utilizes a 'Bhuna' style technique where spices are fried in oil to release essential oils, while the Pakoras (or Bhajis) are a quintessential street food snack from the Indian subcontinent, often served with chai or as an appetizer.
