AIP Paleo Coconut Fish Curry

This recipe stemmed from a deep, persistent craving that lives within me for Thai food and curry. I was sitting around one evening, thinking to myself how badly I was craving coconut curry soup and also how much I wanted seafood, and failing at finding any restaurant in a 10-mile radius that would have anything remotely resembling what I was craving or able to eat while adhering to my AIP diet. So I did what any dedicated and Thai-crazy person would do, and battled the February cold to find the ingredients I needed to craft my perfect AIP-Thai-coconut-lemongrass-curry-fish-soup dish.

I will just go ahead and acknowledge that the laundry list of ingredients below looks daunting and you’re probably thinking you’d rather risk gut-wrenching takeout than spend time doing this – BUT, before you pick up that phone and dial your local Thai establishment, let me assure you that this dish is absolutely not as hard to make as it seems; in fact, it was quite simple! And trust me – it’s definitely worth the time and effort that goes into it.

What I love about this dish is that it incorporates all my favorite Thai flavors like ginger, cilantro, lime, garlic, fish and “soy” (brought to you by: coconut aminos), and combines it with the sweetness of parsnips, the brightness of lemongrass and the creaminess of coconut milk to create a bold and beautiful pop of flavor in your mouth that is salty, tangy, sweet and sour all at the same time. This dish is truly cooking with your senses! And of course, the best part about it is that it’s completely AIP-friendly in that it doesn’t actually use any curry – instead, the turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, curry leaves and hint of cinnamon help to recreate that flavor.So enjoy, my fellow Thai-food-loving friends! And be sure to let me know if you enjoy it.

Left: unstrained sauce, right: strained sauce

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 small white onion - diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 tsp Thai basil
1 tsp dried lemongrass
3 lime leaves
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp coconut vinegar
zest of 1 lime
1.5 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro stems
1 can coconut milk
2 medium-sized parsnips - peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
½ inch ginger root - peeled and minced
1 lb white fish (cod, halibut, tilapia - cut into 4 oz filets)
2 tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp dried curry leaves
½ tsp turmeric
2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

In a pot boil parsnips for 20 minutes or until softened - drain, set aside
Melt coconut oil in pan on medium heat
Add onion and garlic to pan - sauté until translucent
Stir in ginger then add turmeric, cinnamon, cilantro stems and fish sauce - stir
Add chicken broth, lime juice, lime leaves, curry leaves, lemongrass, thai basil, coconut vinegar - stir, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes
Add 1 can coconut milk - stir, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes
Then place fish filets into pan with sauce, cover and let simmer for 8 minutes
Once cooked, remove fish, strain sauce with a mesh strainer into a bowl and add strained sauce back to pan
Add boiled parsnips and fish to pan
Serve