Ground Turkey with Peas

Ground Turkey with PeasMurghi Ka Keema

This recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. This dish is quick and easy to prepare, hence the title of this book. While a pot of brown rice was cooking for 45 minutes, I was preparing the ingredients for this recipe. By the time the rice was done cooking, this dish was already cooked. I had extra time to cook 3 eggs, over-easy and wash most of the dishes before sitting down to dinner. I will definitely make this dish again, especially on nights when I don't know what to cook and want to cook something healthy, fast, and budget-friendly. The peas can be substituted with lima beans, green beans, corn or garbanzo beans.

3 tablespoons olive oil (0.7 ounce)
1-inch stick cinnamon
4 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, finely chopped (4 to 5.3 ounces)
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced (0.5 ounce)
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (0.4 ounce)
One 1.25-pound package lean ground lean turkey or ground chicken
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoons store-bought garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-3/4 cup frozen peas (7 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (0.8 ounce)

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the oil to the hot skillet. Tilt the skillet so the oil collects to one side of the pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamon pods, and bay leaves to the oil. "Fry" for a few seconds or until cardamon pods starts to pop. Lay the skillet flat down on the burner. Add the onion. Stir and fry until the onion pieces turn brown at the edges, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add the ginger and stir for another few seconds. Add the ground turkey. Increase heat to high heat; stir and fry until the turkey is cooked through and broken up into small pieces, aobut 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat back to medium-high heat and add the turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir and fry for a few seconds and then add the peas and lemon juice. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and bay leaves before serving.

Serve with brown basmati rice.

Yields 3 to 4 servings