Golden Chicken and Kale: a curry that needs no nightshades

Curry built from real spice does not need chili or paprika to bring the warmth. This one-pan dinner leans on turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger, and comes together in about 40 minutes.

The color here is doing more than looking beautiful. Turmeric gives the sauce its gold, and turmeric's active compounds are linked to supporting a calmer inflammatory response, though that is a general association and not a claim about your condition. The kale is a source of magnesium, which is involved in nervous system regulation and muscle function, and the chicken thighs are a source of zinc, involved in immune function and tissue repair.

Cook it slowly enough to notice it. The coconut milk thickens, the kale collapses into the gold, and the kitchen smells warm. A quiet thank-you to the bird before you eat is never out of place. For a make-ahead golden turmeric sauce you can spoon over other dishes through the week, see Golden turmeric sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 lb chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in; bone-in needs longer cooking)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (drop it for SIBO or low-FODMAP layering)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 bunches kale, leaves only, chopped

Method

• Heat the coconut oil in a deep pan over medium-high and brown the chicken briefly on both sides. You are after color, not full cooking yet.
• In a bowl, whisk the coconut milk with the honey, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic powder, and salt. The original instructions left out when to add the vinegar; it goes into this whisked sauce, per the author's own correction.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Bone-in pieces will need longer.
• Lift the chicken out and set it aside. Add the chopped kale to the sauce and boil 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender.
• Plate the chicken over the kale and spoon the remaining golden sauce over the top. Cauliflower rice underneath catches the sauce well.

Instant Pot variation

Brown the chicken on Saute, then pour the whisked sauce over it, seal, and cook on high pressure for a short window, roughly 8 to 10 minutes for boneless thighs and a few minutes longer for bone-in, with a quick release. Remove the chicken, switch back to Saute, and wilt the kale in the sauce until tender. Pressure timing is a sensible range here and untested, so check the chicken for doneness before serving.

*Adapted from grazed-and-enthused*