Thai Turkey Curry
This Thai turkey curry is healthy, filling and absolutely delicious! Easy to make for the whole family, it’s perfect for a quick midweek meal or even a dinner party!
Curry is one of the most popular dishes in the UK to eat and with so many different variations it is easy to see why.
Originally from the word “Kari” in Tamil meaning sauce, the dish has travelled all around the world using different cooking styles and ingredients, whilst still remaining a firm favourite.
Why use turkey?
Elaine and I have decided to use turkey for this recipe for a number of reasons.
Although we do not eat much meat or poultry, when we do, we usually incorporate turkey into our dishes for the associated health benefits.
Turkey is loaded with B vitamins, which play a vital role in maintaining good health. They are crucial for energy production, cognitive function and good eyesight. Vitamin B-12 in particular is associated with weight loss, so keeping your B-12 levels up is especially important if you are trying to reach a healthy weight.
In terms of the health benefits of turkey, it is the presence of Carnosine which interests me the most.
Carnosine is an amino acid which can help slow skin ageing and repair skin cells in the body. It is said to improve the immune system, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and preserve eyesight.
Recent research also suggests it could be vital in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, improving both memory and cognitive function.
Turkey is also high in protein, which is important for growth and repair. A portion of turkey breast will provide you with up to 50% of your recommended daily amount of protein.
It also only contains about 7g of fat which is 10% of your recommended amount, making it great for maintaining a healthy weight.
Making our Thai turkey curry even healthier!
Even with the health benefits from the turkey, we like to make sure all of our recipes are packed with as many health benefits as possible, while still tasting delicious of course!
The chillies in the curry paste, coupled with one whole red pepper per portion, mean that this Thai curry is packed full of nutrition.
One bell pepper actually counts for 2 of your five-a-day due to being exceptionally rich in vitamins.
Red peppers are extremely high in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Our immune system relies heavily on vitamin C and our bodies cannot produce it, so we must be sure to consume enough from fruits and vegetables.
Though a sufficient intake of vitamin C may not stop you from catching the cold or flu, it has been shown to greatly reduce the symptoms of these conditions, and allows the body to fight them off much more quickly.
Therefore ensuring sufficient intake of vitamin C every day from food will improve your overall health and minimize the risk of being ill in bed for days with cold and flu symptoms.
We have included pre-made curry paste in our recipe as we realise that most people will prefer this option.
However, it is easy and cost effective to make your own curry paste from scratch, as demonstrated in this video from Cooking Thyme.
Keeping our Thai turkey curry dairy-free
We use coconut milk in this recipe for a number of reasons. Firstly, using coconut milk instead of cream ensures that the curry has an authentic Thai flavour.
It also means that the curry is dairy-free and suitable for those who are lactose intolerant or avoid dairy for health reasons.
However we also like to use coconut milk for its substantial health benefits. Coconuts are often branded as being ‘high in fat’ and therefore should be avoided, however this does not tell the full story.
Coconut milk actually contains a special type of fats called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Your body uses these fats differently than the less healthy long-chain triglycerides found in other foods.
These medium-chain fats have been linked to increased weight loss, and increase the feeling of fullness after eating.
Coconut milk contains manganese, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as vitamins B6, C and E. It also contributes to your daily intake of protein and fibre.
Therefore we feel that coconut products have an important role to play in our health, and we like to use them instead of dairy where possible.
Did we mention that our Thai coconut turkey curry is delicious?!
It is quick and easy to make and you can switch some of the spices around with what you have in your cupboard for easiness.
Experiment with the recipe and have some fun. Elaine likes this one hot and spicy, adding extra chillies before serving. Whereas I prefer this dish on the milder side. Its entirely up to you.
Add some spinach leaves in at the end to boost the nutritional value and finish off the dish with a squeeze of lime and some fresh coriander on top and you are good to go.
Enjoy!
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Billy and Elaine
Thai Turkey Curry
Ingredients
- 400 g turkey fillets cut into large chunks
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 1/2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp red thai curry paste (3 tbsp if you want more of a kick)
- 400 ml can full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger
- a few handfuls of spinach chopped
- fresh coriander
To Serve
- boiled rice
Instructions
- Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add onion and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add cumin, garam masala, curry powder, garlic and ginger paste. Lower the heat and cook the onion and spices for 2 minutes.
- Add a further 1 tbsp of oil to the pan then add the red peppers and curry paste and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the turkey fillets to the pan and stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the turkey in the spice mix.
- Add the lime juice and can of coconut milk, then simmer for 5 minutes, until the turkey is cooked through.
- Stir in the freshly chopped spinach and sprinkle with coriander leaves.
- Serve with boiled rice and enjoy!
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