A quick and easy recipe for nightshade-free AIP curry. This low-inflammatory curry is perfect for those who are sensitive to nightshades, as well as those who eat a whole food, paleo, or keto diet. Recipe includes a Low-FODMAP option.
This nightshade-free AIP curry recipe holds a special place in my heart.
I made this recipe for years while my gut health was at its worst, and I shared the recipe in 2019. I found it soothing, easy to digest, satisfying, and it really calmed my body and soul while I was experiencing symptoms.
While nothing beats a great authentic Thai curry, I found so much relief in being able to eat meals that tasted great and acted as my own personal comfort food.
If you find yourself in the same boat – with chronic illness, an autoimmune condition, or severe gut issues – this easy recipe is a great way to catch a break in your symptoms. It is anti-inflammatory and designed to be easy to digest.
For those who don’t have a medical need and are looking for authentic curry recipes, just take a dive into my Curry archives. You will find all sorts of seasonally-inspired curry options, both Thai and Indian, vegetarian and protein-packed!
First things first. Let’s define both nightshades and AIP.
What are Nightshades?
Nightshades include tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, chilies (both fresh and dried into spices), black pepper, and eggplant. They contain a compound called glycoalkaloids which make them tough on your stomach and GI, also causing organ and joint inflammation.
If you have an autoimmune disease or gut issues such as IBS or leaky gut, you may notice a sensitivity to nightshades.
Since those with autoimmune disease or gut problems already have a difficult time managing systemic inflammation, it is best to steer clear of nightshades to avoid any excess irritation or flares.
What is AIP?
The AIP diet (or the Autoimmune Protocol Diet) is a very strict low-inflammatory elimination diet designed to relieve symptoms in those with severe autoimmune inflammatory conditions.
The AIP diet eliminates grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol, legumes, nightshades, nuts, seeds, and coffee.
Those with autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and more, often find relief in consuming a very low-inflammatory diet, as this clean eating diet helps to lower systemic inflammation.
While I don’t have severe autoimmune symptoms, I do notice a sensitivity to nightshades, particularly potatoes and tomatoes.
For this reason, I reserve my nightshades for those instances that really count, which for me means one thing: Thai curry. I typically avoid all nightshades, save for the one or two evenings a month I go out for curry with friends.
How to Make Curry Nightshade-Free:
Having had some readers request more AIP recipes, I figured it would make a ton of sense to take my favorite nightshade-full meal and make it nightshade-free.
What we have here is a curry recipe that contains no tomatoes, bell pepper, chilis, or cumin, all of which are common in Thai food and Indian food. Instead, we replace nightshade spices with anti-inflammatory ingredients.
A typical Thai curry or Indian curry includes a variety of fresh or dried chilis, cumin, and sometimes bell pepper.
We replace the nightshades with coconut aminos, some extra turmeric and ginger, fresh lime juice, and cinnamon. Fish sauce is a great addition too in order to add umami flavor.
Trust me, it is shocking how authentically curry-like this recipe tastes!
AIP Curry Ingredients:
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The rich, creamy sauce is made using canned full-fat coconut milk. For this to be strictly AIP, use coconut milk that doesn’t have any emulsifiers or gums.
Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk is a great option, as it includes only coconut milk. Coconut cream works here too as long as the ingredient label specifies coconut only.
Fresh Ginger: Ginger adds unique flavor that can’t be replaced in any other way. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory and aids with digestion. Increase the amount if you’d like!
Fresh Garlic: Garlic brings a big boost of flavor to everything it touches and includes health benefits as well! It is a natural anti-inflammatory, make help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and can also help regulate blood sugar.
Large Carrots, Broccoli, Yellow Squash: Pick your favorite AIP friendly vegetables to replace the nightshade vegetables. I love using carrots, broccoli, and yellow squash, but you can get creative here.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: The protein portion of the recipe. Boneless chicken thighs work great here too. While I love making chicken curry, you can easily pick shrimp, steak, or even ground turkey or any ground meat instead.
Coconut Aminos and Fish Sauce: To add rich umami flavor to the meal and a little natural sweetness, we need coconut aminos and fish sauce. Most grocery stores carry both, near the soy sauce.
Ground Turmeric, Ground Cinnamon, Sea Salt: These simple spices take the place of curry powder or curry paste. Do they closely mimic the flavor of curry? No. However, all characteristics combined, this simple dish tastes similar to a classic Thai curry recipe.
Fresh Limes: Be sure to pick up some fresh limes to drizzle fresh lime juice over the finished product, if you’d like.
Fresh Basil: Basil adds vibrant flavor to Thai food! Many people love fresh cilantro, but I’m more of a Thai basil girl.
Looking for ways you can customize the recipe to make different variations? Here are some ideas.
Recipe Adaptations:
- For a Low-FODMAP version, omit the garlic cloves, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and swap the broccoli for your favorite low-FODMAP vegetable such as zucchini.
- You can add your favorite vegetables to replace any of the fresh vegetables in this recipe. Yellow onion is a lovely addition, and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and beets are a great option!
- Add chopped yellow onions, and/or more garlic cloves.
- For more curry sauce and added health benefits, add a little bone broth.
- Replace the fresh ginger with 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, ginger powder, or galangal powder.
- Serve with fresh cilantro instead of basil.
Use your favorite animal protein in place of chicken.
How to Make AIP Curry:
- Pour 1/4 cup of the coconut milk into a large skillet and heat to medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots and broccoli and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies have softened but are still al dente, about 3 minutes.
- Heat a small amount of coconut oil or avocado oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped chicken breasts. Brown the chicken, stirring occasionally, until a great deal of liquid comes out, about 5 minutes. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through – you’re simply cooking out the liquid. Strain the liquid from the chicken, then add the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables.
- Add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the coconut milk) to the skillet with the vegetables and chicken, except for the fresh basil and lime wedges. Stir well and bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking another 8 to 10 minutes, until curry has thickened and chicken is cooked through.
- Taste curry for flavor and add sea salt to taste. Serve with choice of cauliflower rice or other riced vegetables or regular rice. Garnish with lime wedges and basil.
- Serve it up with cauliflower rice, your favorite riced vegetable (try my Turnip Fried Rice or Cauliflower Fried Rice), or regular rice (if you do grains) and enjoy! Zucchini noodles are a great option here too.
Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you’re looking for more AIP recipes, also try these reader favorites!
More AIP Recipes:
- Nightshade-Free AIP Chili
- AIP Chicken Tikka Masala
- Ground Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash
- AIP Salmon Curry
- Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
Cheers to good health!
Nightshade-Free AIP Curry
Ingredients
- 1 (15-oz) can full-fat coconut milk see note*
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced, optional**
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 large crown broccoli chopped into florets**
- 1 yellow squash chopped
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos ***
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped for serving
Instructions
- Pour 1/4 cup of the coconut milk into a large skillet and heat to medium. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the carrots and broccoli and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies have softened but are still al dente, about 3 minutes.
- Heat a small amount of coconut oil or avocado oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped chicken. Brown the chicken, stirring occasionally, until a great deal of liquid comes out, about 5 minutes. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through – you’re simply cooking out the liquid. Strain the liquid from the chicken, then add the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables.
- Add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the coconut milk) except for the lime wedges and basil to the skillet with the vegetables and chicken. Stir well and bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking another 8 to 10 minutes, until curry has thickened and chicken is cooked through.
- Taste curry for flavor and add sea salt to taste. Serve with choice of cauliflower rice or other riced vegetables or regular rice. Garnish with lime wedges and basil.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I originally shared this recipe on March 5, 2019. I updated the photographs and added more information to make this article more helpful.
This was so good! I can’t even think of another time my 2 year old cleared her plate like this. And the first thing she said when she took a bite was “Mmmmm, good!” My husband and I both had seconds. Please keep the fabulous AIP recipes coming!
That warms my heart!!! Thanks so much for letting me know, Whitney! xoxo
This came out delicious. I used baby bella mushrooms and string beans for the veggies. I also added cumin, black pepper, ground clove and onion powder. YUM! Thanks again, Julia.
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Andrea! Thanks for letting me know! xoxo
I cried when I read this – gut problems can be so emotional – after all the gut is like a second brain. Curry is my favorite thing to eat and I have basically IBS from nightshades. Thank u so much for this. My next goal is being able to make nightshade free pasta sauce !
Hi Sara,
Ohhh that’s so bittersweet to hear..I’m happy the post resonated with you and I’m so happy you’ve figured out the root cause of your gut issues. My heart goes out to you, m’dear! Best of luck on your journey, and feel free to keep in touch xoxoxo
Thank you so much, it tastes great. I didn’t know I could like curry with only tumeric and cinnamon. Next time I will add bay leaf and lemongrass.
So happy you like it, Mai! And that sounds amazing! xo
Great recipe! Just place be ware that cilantro/coriander is an unsafe heavy metal chelator, it has the chemical structure to move mercury around in your body, but not remove it so it could potentially get moved from a benign place to a very sensitive spot like your brain causing a lot of problems. This should be a concern for everybody as we all have some degree of heavy metals. To read some peoples experience with cilantro you can google “andy cutler what not to do», and there is a grat article explaining this further that you can find by googling «andy cutler rebecca rust lee weston price». Please red up on Andy Cutlers work if you want to learn more, as he is the only one who found a safe way to chelate. I would also recommend his book «The Mercury Detoxification Manual: A Guide to Mercury Chelation», By Andrew Hall Cutler, Phd, PE
I am amazed that I finally found a curry recipe! And the bonus is I not only cook it for myself but my whole family enjoys it, so I don’t have to make a separate dinner for them
Hello, I’m going to make this for my son’s darling girlfriend, who’s now on the AIP diet. Can this be frozen?
Hi Lynn,
Yes, absolutely! The vegetables may be a bit flaccid when they are thawed and reheated, but the fat in the coconut milk will help keep everything tasting fresh.
This dish was so delicious and comforting that I added it to my family’s cook book where we only put recipes we absolutely adore. Thank you so much for sharing and I’m looking forward to eating it again and again for years to come.
My pleasure, Valorie! I’m so happy you like it! 😀 xo
it sounds so good and i plan on making it as I have been nightshade free for years!
but I don’t see curry listed??
Curry isn’t a spice it is a mix of spices and in that mix of spices are some nightshades so she made a mix that tastes like the original mix of spices that we call curry. A lot of people dont realize that curry is just a mix of spices
I’ve made this twice now! I add some chicken broth and make it more like a “soup.” Delicious! Great for a winter day and AIP compliant.
You are an AIP angel! This curry was delicious!!! The fresh lime juice and basil gave it the kick of flavor I’d been missing after 2 weeks of bland AIP foods. My insides are singing and my taste buds dancing. Mahalo!
The knowledge gives by you is not only helpful for me but also for all humans. thank you very much.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve been feeling depressed at the lack of variety AIP allows for. But this made me feel so happy because of the rich, complex flavours!!!! The lime and the basil (I used dried seasoning) were an absolutely masterful touch! Love, love love it!
I’m so glad you like it, Joy!! Thanks so much for the feedback. Best of luck on your AIP journey! xo
Hi, I really like this recipe. Now, how would you modify it for a slow slow cooker?
silly question: it’s called a curry but you do not use curry powder or paste? 🙂 going to make for dinner tonight. love your site!!! 🙂
Mary, I think that is because she is putting together a combination of individual spices to create her OWN curry blend that will not have any nightshades, but still be curry-esque. 🙂 Her combination of spices IS a curry powder. 🙂 She can’t use already prepared curry powder or paste because it comes automatically with nightshades in it.
Curry powder is just a pre made mix of spices.
Homemade Curry can use a powder/paste or can be made from scratch.
Most curry powders contain turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger and black pepper. Tumeric gives the colour, chilli give the hotness.
change the chilli for more hotness or different flavour.
So a Curry that is AIP just leaves out the non AIP spices and can substitute other spices depending on what tastes you like (i.e. the lime and coconut milk)
THANK YOU! I’ve been dying to find a way to cook curry for my partner who is allergic to all peppers (chilis and bells) and is sensitive to tomatoes, too. I will be sure to try this!
You’re very welcome, Amelia! My digestive system doesn’t seem to like chilies or peppers either, so now that I’ve made the recipe, I’ll be making all my homemade curries nightshade-free. So happy you’re looking forward to trying it! Let me know if you have any questions! xo
Holy crap, this is SO good.
I’m so glad you like it! It’s one of my favorites too 😀 Thanks for the note! xo