Bridget Jones’s Turkey Curry

On the sixth day of Christmas the Lit Kitch gave to me…

A spicy turkey curry recipe! It’s day six of the Lit Kitch Twelve Days of Christmas, and today we are cooking Bridget Jones’s Turkey Curry based on Helen Fielding’s novel Bridget Jones’s Diary. Loosely based on a modern day (well, modern day in the 90’s) retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this book is a hilarious look at one woman’s efforts of self-improvement over the course of a year.

A Year in the Life of Bridget Jones

Written in diary form, the book chronicles a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a British woman living in London and working in publishing. Bridget gives herself a lengthy list of resolutions that involves improvements to her appearance, health, career, and love life. Bridget repeatedly fails, tries again, and stumbles her way through the year with the help of her friends.

Over the course of the book, Fielding shows that the problem is not so much Bridget’s perceived inadequacies as it is the prevailing concept of what a woman should be. The women in this book all feel pressured and in turn pressure each other to fulfill various roles relating to career, relationships, and motherhood. In her diary, Bridget frequently compares herself to other women, viewing herself as a failure in comparison. I can only imagine this book being written today, with all of the added pressures of social media. As the book continuously reveals, the grass is always greener on the other side. Bridget cannot truly find happiness until she stops pursuing this fabricated ideal and accepts herself for who she is.

All of this is not to say that this book is serious. It’s not. It’s a hilarious look inside the mind of a woman that will have you laughing the whole time!

Bridget Jones’s Turkey Curry

While this book takes place over an entire year, it begins and ends with the holiday season. So it’s not entirely a Christmas book, but close enough. The book begins on New Years Day, with a turkey curry buffet. At the buffet, Bridget meets her Mr. Darcy, who happens to be wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.

“Noon. London: my flat. Ugh. The last thing on earth I feel physically, emotionally or mentally equipped to do is drive to Una and Geoffrey Alconbury’s New Year’s Day Turkey Curry Buffet in Grafton Underwood.”

Bridget Jones’s Diary

Turkey curry is the perfect way to use up leftover Christmas Turkey! Especially if you have a lot of leftovers and want to mix it up. This is a super easy and flavorful recipe that you can throw together in half an hour!

Bridget Jones’s Turkey Curry Recipe

This recipe is very easy to make, but it packs a lot of flavor from all of the spices used. Ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom all work together to create some awesome flavor. Add the optional cayenne pepper if you like it spicy! The vegetables–onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes–form the base and give it a nice texture. The coconut milk rounds out the flavor. Toss in your leftover turkey and voilà! Top with chopped fresh cilantro for the finishing touches. Serve over rice with a piece of warm naan, and you have yourself a delicious meal in thirty minutes!

The longer you let the curry simmer, the more the flavors will blend together, so if you have the time let it go for a bit. Put the lid on the Dutch oven if the liquids begin evaporating too much (depends on how thick you want your curry). Because of the blend of flavors, this turkey curry is even better the next day!

Enjoy the recipe and some laughs with Bridget Jones’s Diary! Check back in a few days for the next recipe, and in the meantime you can find the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas here!

Bridget Jones' Turkey Curry

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Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes Nutrition facts: 250 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 18 oz petite diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 12 oz cooked turkey, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro, rice, and/or naan to serve

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Sauté onions and peppers 8-10 minutes, until softened and onion is becoming translucent.
3. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add diced tomatoes with juices, coconut milk, chicken stock, tomato paste, and turkey.
5. Let simmer at least 10 minutes to thicken and blend flavors.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice and/or with naan.

Did You Make This Recipe?

How did it turn out? Tag me on Instagram at @thelitkitch