Turmeric Turkey Wrap
A vibrant, broke ahh student wrap with turmeric spiced oven roasted turkey, fresh herbs, and peanut sesame sauce on warm naan.
For the past year of living alone, my diet has been pretty much dictated by what's on sale or what's being promoted in the flyers. This recipe is no exception I made it based on what was on sale that week and what I had lying around in the cabinet. The spice combination was partially inspired by Bon Appétit's Garlic Ginger Chicken with Cilantro and Mint, recreated from memory with whatever I had on hand. It turned out to be one of those happy accidents where everything just works.
Ingredients
Marinade
- Turkey breast1 pc
- Garlic cloves (minced)5 cloves
- Fresh ginger (grated)2.5 cm
- Ground cumin1 tsp
- Garlic powder1 tsp
- Onion powder1 tsp
- Ground turmeric2 tsp
- Salt (1% of turkey weight)1 pinch
- Black pepper to taste
- Sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Olive oil1.5 tbsp
Wrap & Garnish
- Naan4 pcs
- Onion (small–medium, thinly sliced)1 pc
- Cucumber (thinly sliced)1 pc
- Fresh cilantro (leaves & stalks)1 bunch
Sauce
- Chinese peanut & sesame butter to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
Method
01The night before: mince the garlic and grate the ginger. In a large bowl, combine cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, salt (aim for about 1% of your turkey breast's weight), black pepper, sherry vinegar, sugar, and olive oil. Mix until homogenous.
02Dice the turkey breast into 2.5–4 cm cubes. Toss with the marinade until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The vinegar helps break down the protein, making the turkey noticeably more tender after the overnight sit.
03Next morning: preheat your oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
04Thinly slice the onion. Reserve about a quarter of the slices for garnish. Mix the remaining three-quarters in with the marinated turkey.
From experience, while marinating the onion with the turkey further breaks down the meat with its enzymes, the onions tend to bleed quite a bit and will leave you with a liquid mess. Mixing them in right before baking is the move.
05Spread the turkey and onion mixture in a single flat layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 12 minutes.
06At the 12-minute mark, switch the oven to broil. Char the surface for an extra 2–4 minutes until you get your desired colouring.
Keep an eye on it under the broiler it can go from golden to burnt fast. The char adds a lot of flavour.
07While the turkey roasts, thinly slice the cucumber. Roughly chop the cilantro, using both the leaves and stalks for maximum flavour and texture.
08Soak the reserved raw onion slices in cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain. This takes the sharp, spicy edge off.
09Microwave the frozen naan for about 1 minute. Stack naans on top of each other this traps steam and keeps them moist and soft.
10Assemble: lay out the warm naan, spread on the peanut sesame butter, pile on the roasted turkey, top with cucumber, drained onion, cilantro, and finish with hot sauce. Wrap and serve.
Notes
- • The whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes of active time, not counting the overnight marinade.
- • Total cost comes in under $10, or about $2.50 per person hard to beat.
- • Feel free to swap the turkey for chicken thighs. Adjust the roasting time accordingly.
- • The peanut sesame butter adds a rich, nutty base that ties the turmeric spice and fresh herbs together nicely.