Lazy Man's (or Woman's) Leftover Turkey Tikka Masala...Which was so good, we ate it all before I could snap a pic! LOL!

OK, maybe I should have saved this one for the end of November (you know, after Thanksgiving?), but I stumbled across this recipe after buying a pre-cooked turkey breast at Costco, and hubby loved it so much that I had to share the recipe with YOU!

So, yeah, here's the story.  As I said, I bought one of those whole, pre-cooked turkey breasts at Costco (no nitrates, for those of you trying to avoid preservatives!) and then had no idea what to do with it! 

I thought about making turkey sandwiches (too much bread). 
I thought about making turkey soup (too boring). 
I thought about making turkey fried rice (too much of a side dish). 
And then I finally settled upon making a simplified version of Tikka Masala. 
And it was quick and easy and I had ALL the ingredients on hand! 

Yahooooo!

I whipped out my handy rice cooker (Thank you Catanzano family for introducing me to that wonderful kitchen appliance over 10 years ago!  PS....I'm still using the one you gave us!) and a big pan, and here's how it went...


INGREDIENTS:

For the Rice:

2 Cups uncooked white rice
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
A pinch of ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp sea salt


For the Tikka Masala:

1 T butter or ghee
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 T Tikka Masala seasoning (I used Spicemode Mild and Savory Tikka...you could also make your own...https://www.food.com/recipe/tikka-spice-mix-2654 !)
1 tsp sea salt
1 T sugar or coconut sugar (OPTIONAL)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with chilis (I used Trader Joe's Diced and Fire Roasted with chilis)
1 cup canned, unsweetened full fat coconut milk
2 cups cooked, diced turkey

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rinse and drain your rice a few times until the water is just barely cloudy.  Add rice to rice cooker and add water according to your rice cooker's directions (for 2 cups of rice, I used 2 cups of water).  Sprinkle in cinnamon, clove, cardamom and sea salt.  Turn the rice cooker on and let it do its magic!

2.  In the meantime, cook the Tikka Masala:

• In a large saucepan on medium heat, add butter/ghee.  When it begins to bubble, add onion and saute for 2 mins.
• Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds.
• Stir in Tikka Masala seasoning, salt, and sugar (if using).
• Add in the tomatoes and coconut milk.  Stir.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until sauce thickens a little (like gravy).  
• Stir in the cooked turkey and cook until heated through.

3.  When rice is finished cooking, you can fluff it and eat it as is, OR add the remainder of the canned coconut milk to the hot rice, stir, and wait for it to get absorbed and THEN eat.

4.  Spoon Tikka Masala over the rice and ENJOY!

Quick and easy!  

Oh, and we ate it before I could even take a picture, so I'll have to post a pic next time we make it!  LOL!