12-14 lb. whole turkey, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup kosher salt
5 black cardamom pods
5 green cardamom pods
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic
turkey roasting bag
Marinade:
4 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup chopped peeled ginger
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup paprika
2 Tbsp. tandoori masala (see below for recipe)
2 Tbsp. garam masala (see below for recipe)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Rub turkey inside and out with salt and place in roasting bag. Stuff turkey with cardamom and cumin, then with onion, celery, and garlic.
Purée marinade ingredients in a blender and pour into roasting bag, making sure turkey is coated. Tie bag and place breast side down in roasting pan. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, let turkey stand in bag at room temperature for 1 hour, then turn breast side up. Poke steam holes in bag if required. Roast turkey for 30 minutes at 400F, then reduce heat to 350F and continue to roast about another 1 1/2 hours, until meat thermometer registers 160F. Cut open bag and pull away from turkey. Continue to roast another 15-30 minutes more, until breast is deeply browned but not burned and thermometer registers 165°F. Transfer to carving board and let rest at least 20 minutes.
Strain juices into a large saucepan and skim off fat. Simmer over medium heat about 20 minutes, until sauce is reduced to 3 1/2 cups.
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Tandoori masala:
2 1/2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried fenugreek
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 inches, broken into pieces
1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds
Toast spices over medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Grind mixture in a spice mill or with mortar and pestle, working in batches. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.
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Garam masala:
24 bay leaves, crumbled
3 Tbsp. black cardamom pods
2 1/2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1 1/2 Tbsp. green cardamom pods
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tsp. ajwain seeds
2 tsp. whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, 3-4 inches, broken into pieces
Toast spices over medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Let cool. Grind mixture in a spice mill or with mortar and pestle, working in batches. Sift through medium-mesh strainer and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.
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Adapted from a recipe by Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez from Bon Appétit, November 2011, as reprinted by epicurious.com
Versión en español: this post is also available in Spanish
Esperanta traduko: this post is also available in Esperanto, because Dana is a language geek.
