Turkey Aloo Keema

My cooking lately has been pretty intermittent—some weeks, I cook three dishes…some weeks we just dine out or get pizza.  It all depends on my energy level—which is pretty intermittent too.  Just hit 37 weeks!  No turning back!

I have been pretty stoked to find that spicy foods don’t bug me or cause me heartburn (about a hundred OTHER things will cause heartburn, but not spicy foods for some reason).  So I’ve definitely been enjoying some spicy chili, pepper jelly, “kicked up” pasta dishes, and this Indian dish, which is my favorite.

Indian food is obviously not Cajun…BUT—if not for my time in Louisiana, I probably never would have acquired a taste for Indian food.  Back in about 2008, my friend Sean took me to eat at Masala Indian Kitchen in Lafayette, and I fell in love.  And not just with their AMAZING house vinaigrette salad dressing (which I used to ask for extra servings of to take home with me).  EVERYTHING I tried, I liked.  But their chicken keema was my favorite.

While I haven’t been able to master their exact recipe, I do love this version that uses ground turkey in place of chicken (cheaper & a little easier to find) and adds in potatoes.  Because it has potatoes and I always serve it with pita or naan bread, I opt to not make rice to go on the side, but you totally could & I wouldn’t judge.

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 4-5 servings)

1 large onion, minced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup frozen peas

1 14 oz can sliced or diced new potatoes, drained (you can go with fresh cooked if you prefer, but this is what I had on hand)

1 chili or jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil & sauté the onions for about 6-8 minutes.  Then add the garlic & ginger & sauté for about 2 minutes more.  Add the ground meat and dried spices, and let the meat brown, mixing well. Once the meat is cooked, add the potatoes, chili pepper, cilantro, tomato sauce, bay leaf and about a 1/3 cup of water.  Stir well, drop heat to Low and cover, letting simmer for about 15 minutes.  Finally, add the peas and cook for another 5-10 minutes while checking to see if you need more salt or pepper.
Serve with pita or naan bread (I find naan at my local Aldi’s pretty reasonably priced) that’s been lightly toasted in the oven.  I like to lightly spritz the top with olive oil & then dust with either garlic or onion powder.
Rice can also be added, but is entirely optional.

NutriFacts:

• Calories 254.0
• Total Fat 12.1 g
• Saturated Fat 6.8 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.3 g
• Cholesterol 64.0 mg
• Sodium 364.8 mg
• Potassium 428.3 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 16.9 g
• Dietary Fiber 3.5 g
• Sugars 4.2 g
• Protein 20.9 g