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.
I don’t see any curry powder in this recipe. Am I missing something?
Hi Beverly! Curry powder contains cumin, paprika, and often cayenne pepper, all of which are pro-inflammatory. The purpose of the recipe is to lower inflammation, so it is made without curry powder. I wrote about this in the post, but I know there is a lot of information there, so it is easy to miss 🙂 All of this to say, you aren’t missing anything! I hope you enjoy it if you try it. I also have a lot of other curry recipes on my site that do contain curry powder or curry paste if you don’t need an anti-inflammatory recipe. xo
So so good! Switched up the veggies and added a sprinkle of cumin like other commenter suggested. Could be a one pot meal (albeit take longer) if you cook the chicken then transfer to bowl while you start the veggies.
Thanks so much for sharing, Natalie!
Curry is my all-time favorite food. I am currently on AIP, so I am so thankful to have found this fabulous nightshade free curry recipe. It is delicious and tastes like the original! Very easy recipe to follow.
I’m happy you’re enjoying the recipe, Imogen! I appreciate you sharing your feedback! xo
My second time making this curry and I think it might become a weekly staple! Absolutely delicious and was so surprised the cinnamon didn’t end up overpowering the dish.
I’m so happy to hear that, Kim! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Beautiful flavours and very filling. I used chicken thigh cutlets and added makrut lime leaves finely shredded. I just used the one frying pan, browned the chicken added a sliced onion, garlic, ginger and spices. Then remainder of the ingredients. Served with Cauliflower rice. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
All of that sounds wonderful, Mark! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I’m thrilled you enjoy the curry! xo
Absolutely delicious!! So rich with flavour. I only had coconut cream, but it worked perfectly. This will be a weekly meal in this house.
I’m thrilled to hear that, Jennifer! Thank you for sharing! xo
Had to add 400ml water because how else could the vegetables cook with just 1/4cup of coconut milk?? surely water has been missed from this recipe.
If I make this again I would add the carrot & squash at the start and broccoli later as the broccoli just fell apart while waiting for the squash to cook
Hi Chris, You add the rest of the coconut milk in Step 4: “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.”
The 1/4 cup of coconut milk in Step 1 is just to get the vegetables to soften up – I essentially just use a little coconut milk instead of oil. Make sense?
This is sooooo, delicious!! I messed up and added the cauliflower into the main dish and then had to double the sauce recipe cause it soaked up all the liquid, but it still turned out fabulous!!!
I love that! Sounds like it turned out great and honestly now I’m wanting to try your method, lol. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
Am about to make this recipe for a friend. I don’t understand how the veggies don’t get over cooked? We like ours al dente….
Hi Lorna! You can add the veggies in at the end and cook them for about 5 minutes if you’d like to keep them al dente 🙂
Question; do you cook the squash with the carrots and broccoli or is it added in with the rest of the ingredients at the end?
Hi Liz! The zucchini doesn’t take very long to cook, so it is added at the end with the rest of the ingredients 🙂 Hope you enjoy! xoxox
I just made this and finished a huge bowl. It’s sooooo gooood. I did have to use balsamic vinegar instead it coconut aminos because I didn’t realize I’d run out (and also balsamic vinegar doesn’t bother me). I am definitely looking forward to making this again, and *with* coconut aminos. ^_^
I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoy it, Alexandra! Thanks so much for swinging back around to leave your sweet note! xoxox
Hi, I am just wondering why you eliminated the cumin – is this considered a nightshade?
Hi Erin!
Cumin is a seed, which is why it is eliminated on AIP. 😉 Many folks tolerate cumin just fined though, so if you find it works with your system, you can always add some to the curry.
@Julia,
I had questions about this as well. Paprika comes from ground red peppers, so…how is that not a nightshade? I’m severely allergic to all chiles, so even paprika causes a reaction!
@Erin, Hi Erin! There is no paprika (or any other nightshades) in the recipe, so you’re good to go 🙂
Do you use canned coconut milk or the kind in the refrigerated section?
@Kelly C, nevermind! I just saw canned 🤦🏼♀️ But whenever I get it, it’s solidified. Do you mix it first or heat it so it isn’t clumpy?
Hi Kelly, When canned coconut milk is separated, I stir it before adding it. The easiest way to do this is to transfer the contents of the can to a jar and stir it. If it’s still giving you trouble, you can always microwave it for a few seconds in the microwave 🙂 Hope that helps!
Yum– love this recipe! This is a great make-ahead meal for the week for me. I add ground cumin, ground ginger and garlic, in addition to fresh, and skip the aminos. Next time I am planning to add a couple tablespoons of cashew butter to add the umami taste (can’t tolerate the coconut aminos unfortunately!). I usually add a whole bunch of random veggies including asparagus and chickpeas, in addition to picked red onion on top. Thanks for this 🙂
I’m so happy you like it, Aleks! Thanks so much for the feedback and letting us know your changes to the recipe – that’s so helpful for other folks who want to try the same thing 🙂 xoxo
This is my favorite AIP recipe yet! I LOVE curry and this is amazingly similar. Skipped the garlic for low FODMAP. Second time making I piled everything up in the instant pot include whole raw chicken breasts on top. it was a little soupier from the extra moisture but so fast and easy.
Ooh, I love the idea of making it in the pressure cooker! Great idea! So happy you love the recipe, Jennifer 😀 xoxox
Sooo HAPPY to finally find ag really delicious nightshade free curry!
Thanks for posting it!
My pleasure, Jane!! xoxox