Rethink turkey leftovers with curry and chutney

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 26, 2008

By J.M. Hirsch
AP Food Editor
Curries typically are served with rice or flatbread. To put yet another Thanksgiving leftover to work in this turkey curry recipe, serve it over a bed of mashed potatoes. The curry sauce and cranberry chutney will be delicious on the potatoes.
The chutney ó an indian condiment that usually blends cooked sweet fruit with pungent spices ó calls for whole-berry cranberry sauce, but fresh whole berries could be used, too. Add a little extra water and simmer until the berries pop.
The turkey curry calls for coconut milk. You can make a lighter version of this dish by substituting an equal amount of lite coconut milk or chicken broth. With the later you won’t get the same rich, thick sauce as with coconut, but it will still be great.And if you are craving soup instead of curry, skip the chutney and follow the turkey recipe as written. At the end, add 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer for a delicious curried turkey soup.
The fastest way to make this recipe is to set the chutney to simmer, then prepare the curry while it cooks.
Cranberry Chutney
Start to finish: 15 minutes
Servings: 8
1 C. whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 Tbsp. diced jarred jalapeno slices (more or less to taste)
1 C. chopped dried apricots
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/3 C. cider vinegar
1/4 C. light brown sugar
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the onions are tender. If the chutney gets too dry, add about 1/4 cup water.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 124 calories; 1 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 90 mg sodium.
Leftover Turkey Curry
Start to finish: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. mild curry powder
4 C. leftover vegetables (such as green beans, peas, carrots or parsnips), roughly chopped
3 C. chopped cooked turkey
15-ounce can coconut milk
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the oil, onion, garlic and curry powder. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Add the vegetables and toss to coat with the curry powder mixture.
Add the turkey and coconut milk, then bring to a simmer. Heat until warmed through, then season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, flatbread or mashed potatoes, and warm cranberry chutney.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 339 calories; 189 calories from fat; 21 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 3 g fiber; 175 mg sodium.
J.M. Hirsch can be e-mailed at jhirsch@ap.org.