A gentle, nightshade-free vindaloo you stir together and walk away from

Vindaloo is usually a fiery dish, built on chili, tomato, and a heavy hand of seed spices. This is a gentler, rebuilt version, much milder than the restaurant kind, with the chili heat dropped and the tomato replaced. What it loses in fire it gains in ease: stir everything into the slow cooker, set it, and come back hours later to a warm, tangy curry.

Chicken provides protein, niacin, and vitamin B6, all involved in energy metabolism and steady mood. Ginger and turmeric do the warming aromatic work here, and apple cider vinegar gives the dish its signature tang while the long, low cook makes the meat tender. This is honest, restorative food that asks little of you.

There is something kind about a meal that tends to itself while you tend to your life, the chicken, the aromatics, and the slow turn of the hours all adding up to nourishment waiting for you when you are ready. Receive it with a little gratitude and it tastes even better.

Ingredients

• 1 lb cubed chicken breast
• 1 cup nomato (no-tomato) sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Swaps made: Black pepper from the original is omitted for strict AIP elimination. For a low-histamine version, omit the apple cider vinegar as well. The tomato is already replaced with nomato sauce in the source.

Method

• Add the chicken, nomato sauce, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon to the slow cooker.
• Stir everything together until the chicken is well coated.
• Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve over cauliflower rice if you like.

Instant Pot variation

Stir all the ingredients together in the Instant Pot. Seal and cook on high pressure for about 10 to 12 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before a quick release. Stir well and serve. Adjust time for larger chicken pieces and verify against your model.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*