There’s nothing I love quite as much as a one-dish low FODMAP meal. Especially when it involves warming, healing spices and requires less than 10 minutes of prep time!
Having recipes like this one as part of your SIBO repertoire can be an absolute lifesaver when time is tight, but you still want to nourish your body. This recipe also freezes well- hint, hint- if you want to stock up on homemade freezer meals.
[Note: coconut milk, cayenne, and black pepper not pictured- I forgot to include them!]
Spices & SIBO
For some individuals with SIBO, especially the diarrhea form, spices may exacerbate symptoms. But for others, especially those with constipation without acid reflux, spices can be a great way to get things moving.
In fact, in a study looking at factors associated with functional constipation in Bangladesh, low intake of vegetables and spices was associated with a higher prevalence of suffering from functional constipation [1]. Now, correlation does not equal causation, but it’s interesting!
Some of the spices known to be helpful for those with constipation include [2]:
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Fennel
- Licorice
- and so many more!
So I told you this recipe has lots of healing spices and that spices can be helpful for constipation, but let’s take a closer look at what some of the spices used in this specific recipe can do for you!
Ginger
Can have the following beneficial effects [3,4]:
- Relieve Nausea
- Relieve Vomiting
- Relieve Indigestion
- Anti-cancer
- Anti-oxidant
- Antimicrobial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-allergic
Turmeric
Turmeric seems to be all the rage these days. That is partly because one of its active components, curcumin, has a fair amount of research backing its use.
Here are some of the researched conditions where it shows benefit [5]:
- Inflammatory conditions
- Metabolic syndrome
- Pain
- Inflammatory & degenerative eye conditions
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
Curcumin is believed to have the following effects [5]:
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
- Increases activity of superoxide dismutaste (SOD)
Black Pepper
Have you heard that it’s important to consume black pepper when you consume turmeric in order to optimize its benefits? Well, it’s true!
That’s because consuming piperine (active component of black pepper) with curcumin increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000 percent [5]!
Research indicates that piperine can be helpful for the following health issues [6]:
- Insulin resistance
- Inflammation
- Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 large bunch green onion (green part only), sliced
- 1 large zucchini, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1 Tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 can lite coconut milk
- Place all ingredients in a crockpot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Any crockpot or slow cooker will work, but I personally have my eyes on this Instant Pot which also functions as a rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, and more!
References
[1] Perveen I, Rahman MM, Saha M, Parvin R, Chowdhury M. Functional constipation – prevalence and life style factors in a district of bangladesh. Mymensingh Med J. 2015;24(2):295-304.
[2] Natural Medical Protocols for Doctors. Naturalopinion.com. Constipation. Accessed 12-10-2017.
[3] Semwal RB, Semwal DK, Combrinck S, Viljoen AM. Gingerols and shogaols: Important nutraceutical principles from ginger. Phytochemistry. 2015;117:554-68.
[4] Giacosa A, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Riva A, Bianchi porro G, Rondanelli M. Can nausea and vomiting be treated with ginger extract?. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015;19(7):1291-6.
[5] Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017;6(10)
[6] Derosa G, Maffioli P, Sahebkar A. Piperine and Its Role in Chronic Diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;928:173-184.
Hello, could you please let me know how big the cans of tomato paste and coconut milk are please? I am in New Zealand so I’m not sure if the typical can sizes are the same.
Great question! I will keep that in mind for future posts. The can of tomato paste is 170 g and the can of coconut milk is 400 mL. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much
Hi! This recipe looks great! Do you by chance have the conversions for an Instant Pot?
Unfortunately, I haven’t ventured into the Instant Pot world (I have wanted to get one, but it hasn’t quite happened yet). If you try it, I would love to hear your thoughts!
I think this recipe was the closest I’ve gotten to having restaurant quality Indian at home. I used the InstaPot on the slow cook setting for 4 hours. It turned out wonderfully! If you like your veggies a little less crisp, you could probably get away with 4.5-5 hours.
Thank you so much for your review, Reux! I literally just did a happy dance 🙂 xo!
I’d love to know the timing on the high pressure setting of the Instant Pot to speed things up. Anyone played with that version of this recipe? Sounds wonderful. Thanks in advance!
Hi Carrie, I wish I had this info for you! My list of reasons to get an Instant Pot is growing 🙂 Let me know if you do some experimenting with this recipe!
Hi Carrie, I just remembered that another reader commented about the Instant Pot. It looks like they said this: “I used the InstaPot on the slow cook setting for 4 hours. It turned out wonderfully! If you like your veggies a little less crisp, you could probably get away with 4.5-5 hours.”
I did 15 minutes on high – worked great!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Carrie!
Hi Riley, this recipe looks great. Which brand of curry and garam masala spices do include trace garlic or onions? I also react to asoefitida, so I can’t substitute with that.
Hi Cynthia, I am not sure whether you meant “do include” or “do not include”, but I think the latter makes more sense so I will answer that! I used the Simply Organic brand of Curry Powder and Frontier Garam Masala. Hope that is helpful!
This recipe is amazing. I made it in my new Instapot – cooked it on the poultry setting and it was done in 15-20 minutes! It is so good and the flavors are just incredible. And best of all, it is SIBO/Canida friendly! I haven’t had Indian food in a long time, so I am beyond excited to have found this delicious recipe. Thank you!
I am SO glad you enjoyed it, Eric! Thank you so much for your kind review!
Hi! I think I have trouble digesting coconut milk, but I’m ok with lactose-free cow milk. Do you think I could substitute coconut milk for dairy without messing up the recipe? I’m very new at Indian cuisine so sorry if that sounds like a weird ask!
Hi Astrid, heavy cream would be best to replicate the texture. But if the higher fat content is what bothers you, sure, sub lactose-free milk. Just know it won’t be as thick and creamy. Let me know if you try it!
This recipe is a real winner! My boyfriend is not doing low FODMAP, but we eat the same dinners and this is a favorite for both of us. Will be continuing to make even after reintroduction.
Aw, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know =)