My in-laws were coming in town late in the evening so I wanted to prepare something I could make ahead and heat back up and I thought this Asian Turkey Basil was a good dish to prepare. You could easily use ground chicken instead, I just prefer ground turkey. I suppose the flavors are a combination of Indian and Thai (I found inspiration in some Thai Chicken Basil recipes). You can alter it all you want when it comes to adding vegetables (shredded red cabbage would be great), but I really recommend trying to use fresh garlic and fresh ginger if you can. I tend to use pastes (Indian brands) when garlic and ginger are background flavors of a dish, but they really become a fantastic supporting star in this one. You could serve this with rice or noodles, and for a healthier option turn it into lettuce wraps (skip the coconut milk and add a little chicken broth for moisture). Here is what I used:
ground turkey
basil
ginger
garlic
white onion
green chili
scallions
fresh coriander
red bell pepper
green beans
coconut milk
soy sauce
fresh lime juice
bay leaf or curry leaf
Indian spices: turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin, coriander
instead of these you could add some thai red curry paste which would go really well with this dish (I just didn't have any)
brown sugar
sriracha
A lot of these ingredients are optional - I tend to squeeze in sriracha sauce in just about anything (yes, just like pesto), but if you don't need the heat, skip it. Add some lemongrass for even more flavor. Here is what I did: I sauteed half a white onion with some oil, then added lots of ginger and garlic, then the Indian spices, then added the ground meat (a little over a pound). Salt, pepper, a few tablespoons of soy sauce, a sprinkle of brown sugar, lime juice, curry leaf, green chili, then I threw in the chopped vegetables. I then added a small can of coconut milk. I wasn't too happy with the coconut milk as it was watery and not as thick as the kind I usually use (that's what I get for buying Harris Teeter brand coconut milk!). Let it simmer for a while to allow the flavors to really develop and then finish with the basil, scallions and fresh coriander. It's a really delicious dish.
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