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Spiced Ground Turkey Curry with Peas

Spiced Ground Turkey Curry with Peas reads allium 4.8, umami 4.7 and richness 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian main, about 31 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.6 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Allium 4.8 · Umami 4.7 · Richness 4.6 · Sweetness 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Herbaceous 3.0 · Warm Spice 2.9 · Nutty 2.8 · Heat 2.6 · Earthy 2.5 · Fruity 2.4 · Sourness 2.3 · Floral 1.8 · Bitterness 1.2 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (15)

• vegetable oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• ginger — 15 g
• tomato paste — 30 g
• curry powder — 10 g
• cumin — 5 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• cayenne pepper — 1 g
• turkey meat — 567 g
• tomatoes — 411 g
• frozen peas — 237 g
• coconut milk — 109 g
• salt — 5 g
• cilantro — 15 g

Time & effort: about 31 min (29 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 97.3 kcal, 9.3 g protein, 4.5 g fat, 5.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges, 6-7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Push the onion mixture to one side, add the tomato paste, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne to the cleared space, and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and the spices smell toasted rather than raw, 1-2 minutes; this is what keeps the curry from tasting flat.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground turkey, and cook, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, until no longer pink throughout and an instant-read thermometer reads 165F, 5-6 minutes; pull it off the heat the moment it hits temperature, since lean ground turkey dries out fast if it keeps browning past that point.
5. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the raw tomato edge cooks out, 10-12 minutes; adding the sauce this early is what keeps the turkey moist while everything else comes together.
6. Stir in the coconut milk and peas and simmer, uncovered, until the peas are heated through and the sauce turns glossy, 3-4 minutes.
7. Remove the pan from the heat, season with the salt, and taste, adding more salt or cayenne as needed.
8. Stir in half of the cilantro.
9. Spoon the curry into bowls, scatter the remaining cilantro on top, and serve hot, with rice if you like.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Chicken Jalfrezi with Peppers and Onions — Indian
• Peas and Paneer Curry (Matar Paneer) — Indian
• Spinach Chicken Meatballs in Curry Sauce — Indian
• Butter Chicken Meatballs — Indian
• Ndizi Nyama (Green Banana and Beef Stew) — Tanzanian

Keep reading: what allium, umami, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.