Pineapple Coconut Turkey Curry

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I need to start by saying how much I loved this dish. I love curries in general but haven’t had great luck ordering them from the two local places that serve them. One thing that I run into is when a restaurant relies heavily on things to which I am allergic. Even when I order something that is seemingly safe, there is way too much cross-contamination that occurs despite the establishment’s best efforts.

Several years ago Rob took me to this local place that bills itself as a Cambodian restaurant. I was super excited to go as I used to have a Cambodian co-worker who had made me spring rolls and some kind of soup that I loved. There were many things on the menu that I couldn’t eat, but the curry seemed safe. So both Rob and I ordered a curry- one red and one green. As we sat and waited for our meal, I realized I was getting jittery and agitated. Before long I started wheezing and itching and knew I needed to get out of there immediately. To make a long story short, their dishes relied so heavily on peanuts that the building was permeated with them, triggering an allergic response. I left to wait outside in the fresh air as Rob explained the situation to our waiter and got the meals packed up to go. Needless to say, we have not ordered from them again as the risk is just too great.

The second restaurant, an Indian establishment, was much better on the allergy front, despite having dishes with nuts, and they had several types of curry from which to choose. The only issue was the heat! We had ordered what we thought was a milder version and well, it was too much. We aren’t abandoning the place as they have an awesome menu, but for now, curry will be made at home. If I could make a curry once a week, I would. However, since I have to cook for three adults including myself, and one of those adults can’t even handle black pepper, it just doesn’t get made at all -until now.

I had a pineapple that had been sitting on the counter and it was just at the point where it needed to be eaten or it would be quickly lost to spoilage. I wasn’t looking to make a dessert as I had just made the rhubarb-blueberry bars, so I chose to create a recipe around it. In the end, the entire family was pleased. It was a flavorful curry and I was able to remove a portion before adding the hot pepper, making everyone able to enjoy it. As written, it’s a really mild dish, but feel free to kick it up to the heat level you enjoy and feel free to swap out the turkey for boneless chicken breasts.

One last thing…. Save some leftovers! Like many dishes like this, they taste even better the day after.

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More Poultry Dishes:

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Recipe Card

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Servings

6

Author

Corinne Minshall

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

25 Min

Total time

40 Min

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Pineapple Coconut Turkey Curry

Ingredients

• Split turkey breast, about 2 lbs
• 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced
• 60 grams/ 2 oz fresh coconut, thinly sliced*
• 625 grams/ 22 oz cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 14 grams/ .5 oz ginger, grated
• 16 oz vegetable or turkey stock
• 5 oz can of coconut milk
• 170 grams/ 6 oz of greek yogurt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ground anise
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp tumeric
• 1tsp ground harrisa or other pepper with some heat
• 2 oz hot water
• 20 oz pineapple chunks
• small handful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
• olive oil
• salt and pepper 

Method

1. Cut each half of the turkey breast in half width-wise to make 4 thinner cutlets.
2. Combine the cinnamon, cloves, anise, cardamom, and a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt in a small bowl, stirring to combine.
3. Take half of the combined spice mixture and sprinkle it on the turkey cutlets on both sides.  
4. Coat the seasoned turkey breast in the greek yogurt.
5. Place the turkey breast on a rack with a baking sheet underneath and place it into the oven on the top rack. Set the oven to broil.
6. Broil the turkey breasts for 2-4 minutes until you get some char on the yogurt before flipping them and repeat on the other side.*
7. Remove from the oven, cut into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
8. While the turkey is cooking, heat a large skillet on medium with some olive oil. Also, add the other half of the combined spices plus the curry powder, tumeric, and harissa with the 2 oz of hot water, stirring to fully combine, and then set aside. 
9. Add the onions and coconut and saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions and soft and translucent.
10. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the cauliflower and ginger and continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes so the cauliflower starts to cook and takes on a little bit of color.
11. Add the stock and the spice liquid to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the cauliflower,
12. FInally, add the turkey pieces, coconut milk and pineapple, stirring to fully combine. Turn down the heat so the liquid is simmering and cook for 5-7 minutes, making sure the turkey is fully cooked and the coconut strips can be easily pierced with a fork.
13. Season with salt and pepper to taste and the fresh cilantro or parsley, reserving some for garnish.
14. Serve with rice or other grain.

* Notes (if you see an * please check here):

• You can use dried unsweetened coconut chips if you wish, but reduce the amount by 25-33%
• The amount of char on the turkey is a personal preference. The turkey does not need to be fully cooked during the broiling process.

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