AIP Instant Pot lamb or goat curry with AIP garam masala, curry leaves, and nomato sauce - seed-spice-free

Store-bought garam masala leans on cumin and coriander, both seeds, and both are still weeks off for you. So this curry asks you to build the blend yourself: cinnamon, cloves, mace, ginger, bark and bud and root standing in for what elimination puts away for now. It is one more step on a day that may not have room for it, and it is worth taking anyway. What comes out the other side actually tastes like curry.

Iron and zinc are two of the minerals a body in repair reaches for hardest, and goat and lamb are among the most usable sources of both. Cooked bone-in under pressure, the meat also lets go of its collagen into the broth, so what lands in your bowl is doing more than one job: feeding you, and helping you rebuild.

Curry leaves bloom the second they hit hot oil, and the kitchen will smell like it before you ever sit down to eat. Let that be part of the meal: an animal raised well, a spice blend you built with your own hands, cauliflower rice underneath. Come to the table and actually notice it.

Ingredients

For the AIP garam masala (make ahead and store in a jar):

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

For pressure-cooking the meat:

• 2 lbs goat or lamb, cut into 1-inch pieces (bone-in and boneless mixed works well)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• two 1-inch pieces of cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup water

Note: the original source includes whole black peppercorns and black pepper powder. Both are excluded on AIP elimination (pepper is a fruit-derived seed spice). Omit them entirely here.

For the curry sauce:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (use coconut oil for strict AIP; ghee may be used if reintroduced successfully)
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste (see below)
• 6 to 8 fresh curry leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons AIP garam masala (from above)
• 1/2 cup nomato sauce (a nightshade-free tomato substitute made from beets and carrots; or use water if nomato is unavailable)
• fresh cilantro, chopped, to serve

Note: the original source includes coriander powder and cumin powder. Both are excluded on AIP elimination (seeds). They are omitted here; the AIP garam masala carries the full spice load.

For the ginger-garlic paste:

• 10 large cloves garlic
• one 2-inch by 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Make the ginger-garlic paste first. Combine the garlic, ginger, and olive oil in a small blender or food processor. Blend to a smooth paste. This can be made several days ahead and kept refrigerated.

Combine the meat, sea salt, bay leaves, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, turmeric, and water in the Instant Pot. Seal the lid and set to high pressure. Cook for 20 minutes for mostly boneless pieces, or 25 minutes for bone-in or larger chunks. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remaining steam. Open the lid and set the meat aside in a bowl with its cooking liquid.

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode (medium heat). Add the coconut oil. When it shimmers, add the curry leaves and let them pop and crackle for 20 to 30 seconds - they will go from bright green to slightly translucent. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and softened. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the turmeric and AIP garam masala to the onion mixture. Stir well for 30 seconds, then pour in the nomato sauce (or water). Stir to combine and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Return the cooked meat to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Stir everything together and simmer on Saute for another 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce coats the meat and has reduced slightly.

Taste and adjust salt. Serve over cauliflower rice and top generously with fresh cilantro.

Stovetop variation

If you prefer the stovetop, brown the meat in batches in a large heavy pot in coconut oil, then remove and set aside. Build the curry sauce in the same pot, then return the meat with enough water or bone broth to barely cover it. Cover and cook on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender enough to pull apart easily.

*Adapted from cook2nourish.com*