Savory spiced ground turkey cooked with tomatoes and sweet green peas, finished with a touch of yogurt and fresh cilantro for bright, tangy notes. Served hot from a shallow tray, it’s hearty, slightly saucy, and perfect with rice or flatbread.
A Weeknight Tray of Spiced Turkey and Peas
A fragrant, slightly saucy keema baked in a shallow tray—turkey, tomatoes, and sweet peas come together for an easy, dinner-ready dish that’s perfect with rice or warm flatbread.
Think of this as a lighter keema that still delivers on comfort: ground turkey cooked with a base of soft, golden onions, garlic and ginger, then deepened with tomato paste and diced tomatoes. A quick pan finish and a turn in a shallow 9x13 tray lets the flavors meld while the edges get a little caramelized—no fuss, no babysitting, just a satisfying one-pan (plus tray) dinner that’s ready in about 45 minutes from start to table.
The smell is the best part: toasty garam masala, warm cumin and coriander mingle with the sweet pop of frozen peas and the bright tang of yogurt at the end. The sauce stays slightly saucy so every scoop coats rice or folds beautifully into flatbread. Tomato paste gives the dish a savory backbone, canned tomatoes keep it saucy without extra work, and a final shower of cilantro makes each bite lift and sing.
This is a practical weeknight hero: it scales easily, reheats well, and can be made a day ahead (cool, cover, and finish with yogurt just before serving). Want more heat? Add a minced green chili when you fry the aromatics. Brown the turkey well for depth, taste for salt before baking, and spoon on the yogurt and cilantro right before serving for the best contrast of creamy, bright, and warmly spiced.
Ingredients
How to Make Turkey Keema Pea Curry Tray
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a shallow 9x13-inch tray or ovenproof baking dish.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger; if using the green chili, mince it now.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and minced green chili and cook 1 minute more until fragrant, then add the ground turkey and break it up with a spoon; cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika and half the salt and pepper; cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and water, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer gently 8–10 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavors.
- Stir in the frozen peas and Greek yogurt, warm through for 2–3 minutes, then finish with garam masala, lemon juice and the remaining salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasoning.
- Spread the keema mixture evenly in the prepared tray and bake 8–10 minutes until edges are bubbling; for a lightly charred top, broil 2–3 minutes watching carefully.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and extra lemon wedges, then serve hot from the tray with basmati rice, flatbread or a simple salad.
Recipe Card
Turkey Keema Pea Curry Tray
Savory spiced ground turkey cooked with tomatoes and sweet green peas, finished with a touch of yogurt and fresh cilantro for bright, tangy notes. Served hot from a shallow tray, it’s hearty, slightly saucy, and perfect with rice or flatbread.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a shallow 9x13-inch tray or ovenproof baking dish.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger; if using the green chili, mince it now.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and minced green chili and cook 1 minute more until fragrant, then add the ground turkey and break it up with a spoon; cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika and half the salt and pepper; cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and water, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer gently 8–10 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavors.
- Stir in the frozen peas and Greek yogurt, warm through for 2–3 minutes, then finish with garam masala, lemon juice and the remaining salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasoning.
- Spread the keema mixture evenly in the prepared tray and bake 8–10 minutes until edges are bubbling; for a lightly charred top, broil 2–3 minutes watching carefully.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and extra lemon wedges, then serve hot from the tray with basmati rice, flatbread or a simple salad.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 15
- Saturated Fat
- 4.5
- Sodium
- 900
- Fiber
- 3.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 10.5
- Protein
- 28
- Fat
- 15
- Cholesterol
- 80
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 345
- Sugar
- 4.5