Terrifically Tasty Turkey Curry

As a rule, people tend to steer clear of turkey except at Christmas time as it is notoriously dry and tasteless. With this recipe I hope to dispel those myths and bring turkey back onto people's dining tables. Turkey is an incredibly lean meat, making it low in fat but rich in protein, and it helps boost your immune system. It's the perfect meat for anyone wanting to get healthy and if cooked correctly it can be truly delicious.

Healthy eating doesn't have to mean sacrificing flavour,  and this curry is packed full of herbs, spices, garlic and limes to give it a real taste hit! It's also full of yummy veg to not only add to the flavour, but also help you on your way to eating your five-a-day. I make this curry on a regular basis as it's really simple to make, it's really tasty and you feel great after you've eaten it.

Terrifically Tasty Turkey Curry

Serves 4-6 depending on side dishes

For the curry paste:

A large handful of fresh corianderzest and juice of 1 lime

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled

2 lemon grass stalks, hard outer layer removed

  and finely chopped

2 red chillies, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves

2 shallots, sliced

For the curry:

Fry light

1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded 

  and cut into small chunks

2 large carrots, cut into 1cm cubes

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp curry powder

400ml chicken stock

312g carton of passata

680g turkey breast, cut into chunks

170g trimmed beans, halved

salt and black pepper

115g fat-free natural fromage frais

To serve:

rice/naan bread/popadom/extra fromage frais

Put all the curry paste ingredients in a food processor and add 200ml of water. Blend until you have a fairly smooth paste, adding a little extra water if needed. Set to one side.

Place a wok or a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add a good amount of fry light and add the butternut squash. Let it cook for 3 minutes then add the turkey. Once the turkey has coloured on all sides, add the carrot, ground spices and curry powder and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in the stock and the passata, stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the trimmed beans, stir and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions.

Season the curry, remove from the heat and stir in the fromage frais. Serve with the rice, naan bread, popadom and a dollop of fromage frais. This curry works really well with a good Pinot Noir.