Quick Chicken or Turkey Curry

By Kath Dedon

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When I have leftover cooked chicken or turkey meat, I often make curry for dinner. It may not be the most authentic curry, but it’s quick and tasty. You can use milk, as I did last night, or coconut milk which is a great variation.

The recipe is based on one from Sunset’s Fresh Ways with Chicken. Keep in mind that the 1½ tablespoons of curry powder is just a suggested amount. It depends on how hot your curry powder is, and how much heat you enjoy in your curry. I would use 1½ – 2 tablespoons of a milder curry powder, and probably about 1 tablespoon of a fiery curry powder.

I had exactly 1½ cups of cooked chicken in the refrigerator, so I started the rice cooker (an essential appliance in my opinion) and made curry.

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Quick Chicken Curry

(Adapted from a recipe in Sunset’s Fresh Ways with Chicken)

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(printable recipe)

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Serves 2 (doubles easily)

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2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1½ tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons flour
1¼ cups milk (or coconut milk)
Dash cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1½ – 2 cups bite-size pieces cooked chicken or turkey
Salt
Cooked rice
Condiments (suggestions follow)

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Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the curry powder, cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the cayenne pepper, sherry and chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until the chicken is heated. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed.

Serve over rice with your choice of condiments.

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Possible condiments:

Chutney (I especially like Patak’s which is made with sugar, not corn syrup), thinly sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, raisins, shredded coconut