Struggle No More
One of the biggest struggles during the winter is eating healthy. The first thing that comes to everyone’s mind, including myself, when they think of healthy food is salad. And when I think of salad, I think about how it’s cold and definitely not going to warm my body up. I just want to eat something warm like a Chicken Pot Pie or a bowl of Creamy Mushroom Soup. But those aren’t exactly the healthiest meals to eat on a daily basis. To solve this ongoing problem, I created this Turkey Vegetable Curry!
Back to the Beginning
I created this recipe years ago — before I even knew what the heck I was doing. Back then, I thought recipe development was cool, but I never thought it was something I could actually pursue. I just knew that I wanted to create something from my own ideas. Little did I know that I was actually, somewhat, developing a recipe.
It was the winter time, and I wanted to eat something warm and guilt-free. I came up with the idea to make a curry dish and brainstormed ideas of the different vegetables I wanted to add in. This recipe has come a long way, and I’ve definitely made some adjustments to the recipe over the years, but here we are with my finalized Turkey Vegetable Curry recipe!
Hearty and Healthy
This Turkey Vegetable Curry is definitely an Americanized and healthified curry, but it’s still delicious! It has lean ground turkey for protein and is filled with some of my favorite vegetables: mushrooms, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and spinach!
You know how there are some dishes that seem to taste better the days after you make it? This is one of them. The sauce chills and thickens to a nice consistency, and the vegetables and turkey absorb all of the flavors from the curry paste. This Turkey Vegetable Curry recipe is also great for meal prepping because you have your protein, carbs, and fats all in one dish! Pop it in the microwave, serve it over some rice, and you’re good to go! It’s easy, delicious, and healthy. What more could you ask for?
Started from the Bottom Now We Here
It’s so weird to look back and see where I started with recipe development. I knew I was developing a recipe, but I didn’t realize it would be one of my beginning steps in pursuing recipe development. Because of that, this Turkey Vegetable Curry is very near and dear to my heart.
If you’re looking for a healthy dish that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, try this recipe out! It’s packed with flavor from the curry paste and is sure to leave you full with all of the vegetables incorporated into it. Thanks for tuning in today, and I’ll catch you in my next post with an exciting life update!
Turkey Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Neutral Oil (ie: vegetable oil)
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 1 Yellow Onion (sliced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 tbsp Ginger (minced)
- 8 oz Shiitake or Cremini Mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (cut into strips)
- 2 Sweet Potatoes (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 Head of Cauliflower (cut into florets)5
- 5 oz Spinach
- 1/2 cup Red Curry Paste (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 (13.5 oz) Cans of Coconut Milk
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Cold Water
- 1 Lime (cut into wedges for serving)
- As Needed Cilantro (for garnish)
- As Needed Cooked Rice
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan with sides over medium high heat. When the pan has heated, add in the ground turkey. Cook and crumble the turkey until it browns and is fully cooked. Remove the turkey from the pan and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add in the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and heat over medium high heat. Add in the onions and cook them until they become translucent. Then add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds until the garlic and ginger become fragrant. Stir in the mushrooms and cook the mushrooms until they are no longer releasing moisture.
- Next, add the ground turkey back into the pan along with the red bell pepper, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. Then mix in the curry paste and 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce. Stir until everything together until the curry paste has coated all of the ingredients.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Once the coconut milk begins boiling, lower the heat so that the mixture is simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the curry to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower and sweet potatoes have cooked. Stir about every 5 minutes.
- Once the vegetables have cooked, add in the spinach and mix it into the curry until the leaves wilt. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch has dissolved. This will create a slurry to thicken the curry sauce. Add the slurry to the pan and mix over medium-low heat until the curry has thickened.
- Add in the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce, and taste the curry to see if it needs more seasoning. If needed, add in more fish sauce or salt to your liking. Garnish the curry with cilantro and serve it over rice with the lime wedges. Enjoy!
