Mild Curry Chicken (Turmeric, Ginger, Cumin, Coconut Milk, No Garlic/Onion) (Flavorful and well-tolerated)
By the QuiteRecipes team (Jamy & Kaïna) | Food Service Professional, Early Childhood Expert & Parents
A mild, well-tolerated low-FODMAP curry: chicken and carrots simmered in turmeric, ginger, cumin, and a safe half cup of coconut milk.
A mild curry with all the warmth and none of the usual allium suspects. Turmeric, ginger, cumin, and a whisper of cinnamon build a rounded, fragrant sauce around chicken and carrots, with coconut milk kept to the safe half-cup for the pot. It's the curry you can have on a Tuesday when your gut is the boss — and it tastes like you let someone else cook.
🥄 Ingredients
- 🫗 300g (10 oz) chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 🫗 1/2 cup (120ml) canned coconut milk — the whole pot's worth
- 🫗 2 carrots (about 150g), peeled and sliced
- 🫗 2 cups (60g) baby spinach, washed
- 🫗 1 tablespoon neutral oil or coconut oil
- 🫗 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 🫗 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 🫗 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 🫗 A pinch of ground cinnamon
- 🫗 1/4 cup (60ml) onion-free chicken broth or water
- 🫗 1/2 lime, juiced
- 🫗 Salt
Nutrition Facts*
*Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands and portion sizes. Values are provided per serving.
👨🍳 Instructions
Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 4–5 minutes, turning once.
Add the ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, and stir for a minute until fragrant.
Add the carrots and the broth (or water), reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer for 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender.
Wilt the spinach in for the last 2 minutes, turning it through until just collapsed.
Finish with the lime juice, taste for salt, and serve over rice or on its own.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- ✕
Reaching for a curry powder without reading it; many blends sneak in onion or garlic powder.
- ✕
Pouring the whole can of coconut milk in "because it tastes better."
- ✕
Adding the spinach at the start so it vanishes; it belongs in the last two minutes.
🔄 Variations
Swap the chicken for firm tofu or raw shrimp.
Add drained, rinsed canned bamboo shoots for crunch, or seedless zucchini at step 4.
Serve with jasmine rice for a bigger meal.
🧊 Storage
- 📦
Keeps 2 days in the fridge; coconut curry reheats gently on the stove.
- 📦
Add a splash of broth to loosen it when reheating.
💡 Chef Tips
Tip 1: The whole pot carries just half a cup of canned coconut milk — each bowl sits well under the Monash-per-serving line, and the saturated fat stays respectable too.
Tip 2: Toasting the ground spices in oil for that single minute wakes up their flavor without adding any FODMAP risk.
Tip 3: Mild means balanced, not bland — the ginger, cumin, and cinnamon make the warmth last.
Tip 4: Canned coconut milk, not the drinking-carton kind, is the one that actually creams a sauce.
❓ FAQ
Why no onion or garlic in a curry? That's the whole point of this batch — turmeric, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon deliver plenty of flavor with zero FODMAPs.
How much coconut milk is safe? Monash caps coconut milk at about half a cup per serving; this recipe holds the entire pot to that amount, so each bowl sits safely below the line.
Is spinach low FODMAP? Yes — spinach leaves are fine in generous handfuls, and wilting them keeps the portion easy.
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About the Authors
This recipe and guide was developed, tested, and approved in our home kitchen and daily life. Jamy is a retired Food Service District Manager and Early Childhood Program Manager who spent his career overseeing multi-site restaurant operations, large-scale culinary production, and daycare menu management. Kaïna brings the ultimate real-world test: making sure it brings ease and joy to our kids on a busy weeknight.
Read more about our professional background and philosophy →