Note: Part 1 on four course meals was published on our sister site.
Unlike many of the gluten free meals we think about making, curry recipes do not require as much careful modification to the list of ingredients, formulation, and preparation to ensure that it turns out well. Often there is much less trial and error is involved, as well. When I prepare curry dishes I make them gluten free and dairy free, so feel free to consult this article if you are GFCF, for example, or if you live with gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance.
One of the reasons that I like curry recipes so much is that there are many different sauce options and a tremendous amount of flexibility, virtually all of which goes will with rice. While there are great gluten free pasta brands available these days, it is certainly nice to have an entire category of meals that is practically good to go, as is. Naturally, one of the biggest concerns is cross-contamination. While there may be no added gluten in the curry sauce or individual ingredients you are using, if you are preparing the meal from scratch, you will usually be using a number of spices, which will often be imported, and determining what the labelling laws in the exporting country are can be difficult. Even if there is an added domestic label, you really have to be concerned about cross-contamination issues and traces contamination. Many countries still do not have strict laws about this. In addition, one serious difficulty is the fact that often the seasoning will be labelled as “spices” or “seasoning” or “flavouring” with absolutely no breakdown or transparency. You can contact the company, but with imported goods, this can be a challenge.
Despite the issues I note above, I still think that curry recipes are among the best to try to pass as “unmodified” if you are hosting a dinner party. Most guests will not know the difference even if you have made careful changes to convert the curry recipe to gluten free, by using spices you trust, as well as lactose free foods, or dairy free foods, depending on what your restrictions are. It is worth nothing, as an aside, that if you are GFCF, many curries are vegan, but some are just vegetarian with milk or dairy, and some contain all sorts of things. The good news is that there are tons of options. Moreover, curry really is easy to make from scratch, if you haven’t tried before.
One of the great health benefits of virtually every curry recipe is the added coconut milk. I drink light or regular coconut milk in smoothies, or use it in cooking or baking virtually every day. If you are gluten intolerant and suffer from stomach bloating and stomach pain, adding some coconut milk to your diet can help sooth your stomach, at least so long as you are working to eliminate the gluten from your diet. In addition, even if you limit your spicy foods, there are tons of curry recipes that are mild.
In terms of meal options, think about baking some rolls, cook up a big batch of brown basmati rice (my favourite for sure), and make a curry sauce from scratch with trusted spices including your choice of curry powder (red is my favourite) and coconut milk. You may also want to try some Indian chicken recipes that are great with curry added, as well as potato and pea curry, which is another one of my stand-by curry recipes.
Here is a starter curry recipe, although you will want to experiment and try new things eventually:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons red curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- salt to taste
- 1- 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup coconut milk (light or regular)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (unless you want it mild)
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Stir together the spices and continue stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, tomato paste and coconut milk. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf before eating,
