Arghhh. I haven’t posted anything here for over four weeks. I came close a couple of times but in the end, just didn’t have the time. Soccer season is upon us, my brother-in-law came to visit and I did a duathlon (coming 3rd in my age group, my first and quite probably last ever sports prize). Oh and a million other reasons to boot.

It’s hard to stay away though, now that our wonderful local produce is starting to appear in the stores, we have herbs in pots on the deck again, the farmers’ markets are opening up and grilling season is back. In our house it never really went away, but we will be grilling more now that the weather is warmer and the garden is coming alive!

This is a great recipe to get me back into the swing of things. Quick, easy, low fat and full of flavor. It’s a great way to prepare turkey and the sauce is delicious. The quantity here is just right for this recipe but you could make double or triple the amount as it freezes well and is perfect with fish or chicken. It comes from a wonderful Irish cookbook that my mother-in-law bought me for Christmas by Catherine Fulvio who runs the famous Ballyknocken House and Cookery School in Ireland.

Serves 4

For the koftas

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cm fresh ginger (I use that ready-prepared ginger in a tube, about 2 tsp)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp fresh cilantro roughly chopped (coriander)

22oz, 600g ground (minced) turkey breast

salt and pepper to taste

For the Korma sauce

Sunflower oil

1 onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

1/2 groud cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

Pinch of garam masala

300ml chicken stock

2 tsp tomato paste (puree)

100 ml light coconut milk

3 tbsp ground almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

wooden skewers soaked in water for half an hour.

Heat your grill to medium/high. To make the koftas, saute the onion and garlic in a small amount of sunflower oil until softened. Add the spices and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the coriander and cook for 1 minute more. Set aside to cool slightly, then mix the spices together with the turkey breast in a bowl until well combined. Form into balls and then elongate into short, fat cigar shapes and thread onto skewers, three to a skewer. Cook on your grill until cooked through, turning frequently – 10 to 15 minutes. Because of the low fat content, you may want to brush them with a little oil during cooking. If you prefer you can saute them in a pan instead of grilling.

Meanwhile make the sauce. Heat a small amount of sunflower oil in a pan and saute the onion until softened. Add the garlic, spices and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and ground almonds and cook for a further 5-7 minutes.

 Serve the koftas with the sauce, basmati rice and naan bread.