Chicken Phall
Phall, sometimes spelt 'phal', 'phaal' or 'faal', is an extremely spicy curry that originated in the Bangladeshi owned Indian curry houses of Birmingham, England, and was invented for those who wanted their curry to be much hotter than the typical British Indian restaurant (BIR) style vindaloo, which is much hotter than the authentic Goan version. The phall known in the West is just an extremely spicy curry and it should not be confused with a traditional Indian dish from Bangalore which is known by the same name. The curries served at British Indian restaurants and takeaways are not traditional Indian curries, but often times they are named after traditional Indian curries and this leads to some confusion.
Phall curry can vary slightly from establishment to establishment, but the constant theme is that it's always an extremely hot curry, and one of the hottest curries that the establishment makes. Some phall curries have a thickish tomato-based sauce, while others are cooked in the same way as all the other British Indian restaurant style curries using base gravy. It is spiced up using a healthy dose of chilli powder and a heroic amount of extremely spicy chillies. Sometimes, Habanero and Scotch Bonnet chillies are used, but more often than not superhot chillies are used, and the Naga Morich is the most commonly used variety. This makes perfect sense when you consider that most of the Indian restaurants and takeaways in the UK are owned by Bangladeshis, and that the Bangladeshis hold the Naga Morich chilli in very high regard, often referring to it as the 'queen of chillies'.
I'm glad you asked. Phall curry is intended for seasoned fire eaters only! It is a stupidly hot curry and one that is far too hot for most people. Whatever you do, don't go serving it to people who only like milder curries, such as korma and rogan josh. Even most of the Indian people I've spoken with said they would never cook or eat a curry as hot as phall. Although some Indian food can be quite spicy, especially the food from Southern India, phall curry is on a whole other level! Only Indian chilli-heads, of which I imagine there are many, would ever consider cooking and eating a curry as hot as phall. While some Indians may like to add a Bhut Jolokia or Naga chilli to their jalfrezi, the average Indian person wouldn't touch a phall curry with a 10-foot pole. It's a misconception that Indian people eat very spicy food, just as it's also a misconception that all Italian food should be laced with garlic. Phall curry is more of a British thing than anything else, and we Brits can be pretty crazy!
I once communicated with a famous Indian chef and he told me that the Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia chillies are not widely used throughout India. According to him, there is a region in India that doesn't use as many of the traditional Indian spices, but they do use Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia chillies in small amounts, and this gives their cuisine a distinct flavour and also makes it much spicier than the cuisine from other regions of India. I assume he was referring to Nagaland in Northeast India, where I'm told that the food is much spicier compared to the food from other regions of the country.
Some people might consider it to be the hottest curry in the world and it has certainly held that title in the past. However, the reality is that certain people like to out-compete others and take things to more extreme levels. Just take a look at the world's hottest chilli shenanigans if you don't believe me. There will always be people who try to develop hotter and hotter chillies. A great way for an establishment to pull in egotistical maniacs and make money from them is to market a curry as being even hotter than phall. Another curry that made the news a few years ago was The Cinnamon Club's Bombay Burner, a curry which consisted of 24 Scotch Bonnet halves stuffed with extremely spicy minced lamb. The establishment even made customers sign a disclaimer before eating it! An Indian restaurant in Grantham, England, once served a curry which they named 'the widower'. It was made using 20 whole infinity chillies!
One problem I've found when posting a recipe for phall curry is that some people may consider it to be too spicy, and others who consider the eating of such curries to be more of a bravado thing will often claim that it's not hot enough. As with any curry, you can make it as hot as you wish just by adding more chilli powder and fresh chillies. However, if you have to shovel something down because it's too spicy then that's not enjoyment. You either like eating extremely spicy curries or you don't. Personally, a curry containing three teaspoons of chilli powder, four good-sized Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chillies or one or more Naga chillies and six to eight green or red finger chillies is about as hot as I like to go. I genuinely enjoy eating very hot curries from time to time and I have nothing to prove and nothing to gain by doing so.
Probably not, but everyone else in your household might if you're not careful! It all depends when you add the superhot chillies to the pot. When preparing phall curry, it's not uncommon for some chefs to wear a full face respirator mask to protect themselves from the intense fumes from the superhot chillies after they add them to the pan. If you know how British Indian restaurant (BIR) curries are cooked then you'll understand why this happens. This is the main reason why I only add the Habanero, Scotch Bonnet or superhot chillies to the pot just before covering it and placing it into the oven. The fumes from superhot chillies can be extremely overpowering, and if you're not careful they can easily send your whole household into a wild coughing and sneezing frenzy! I've written more about cooking with superhot chillies over on my superhot chilli peppers page, if you're interested.
It's not just superhot chillies that can send you into a mad coughing and sneezing frenzy if you're not careful. It can also happen with Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and even the milder Cayenne or finger types, but obviously the hotter the chillies are the worse it is. About 14 years ago I grew an unknown 7-Pot strain, and to this day I still swear that it was the hottest chilli I've ever eaten! I remember adding half of one to a pot of curry sauce that was gently simmering away on the hob and the fumes were almost instantaneous. It sent everyone in the house into a mad sneezing frenzy and I had to open all of the downstairs windows. The chillies in question ripened to deep red and were blocky-shaped with a rough exocarp. They were absolutely lethal! Eating that curry was a challenge in and of itself and it was a curry that I'll never forget.
Anyway, my dear comrade, let's get to it. Here is my recipe for chicken phall and it has been a favourite curry of mine for many years. Whenever I'm in the mood for something extra spicy this is always my go-to curry of choice. I normally serve it with plain boiled rice, poppadoms, garlic and coriander naan or mixed vegetable pakora, homemade chutney, onion salad, yoghurt mint sauce or cucumber raita. If you follow the instructions carefully then you too can make one of the hottest curries in the world! Forget the lager louts; this one is for all of the Naga louts out there! As a final warning, just remember that this curry is far too spicy for the average person and it should only be served to those who are accustomed to eating extremely spicy food. Hopefully, I've not put you off, but if I have and you would like to make a milder curry instead then you could try my beef madras recipe or chicken madras recipe.
Ingredients:
Method:
Notes:
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| Chicken Phall |
Phall curry can vary slightly from establishment to establishment, but the constant theme is that it's always an extremely hot curry, and one of the hottest curries that the establishment makes. Some phall curries have a thickish tomato-based sauce, while others are cooked in the same way as all the other British Indian restaurant style curries using base gravy. It is spiced up using a healthy dose of chilli powder and a heroic amount of extremely spicy chillies. Sometimes, Habanero and Scotch Bonnet chillies are used, but more often than not superhot chillies are used, and the Naga Morich is the most commonly used variety. This makes perfect sense when you consider that most of the Indian restaurants and takeaways in the UK are owned by Bangladeshis, and that the Bangladeshis hold the Naga Morich chilli in very high regard, often referring to it as the 'queen of chillies'.
Who Is Phall Curry Intended For?
I'm glad you asked. Phall curry is intended for seasoned fire eaters only! It is a stupidly hot curry and one that is far too hot for most people. Whatever you do, don't go serving it to people who only like milder curries, such as korma and rogan josh. Even most of the Indian people I've spoken with said they would never cook or eat a curry as hot as phall. Although some Indian food can be quite spicy, especially the food from Southern India, phall curry is on a whole other level! Only Indian chilli-heads, of which I imagine there are many, would ever consider cooking and eating a curry as hot as phall. While some Indians may like to add a Bhut Jolokia or Naga chilli to their jalfrezi, the average Indian person wouldn't touch a phall curry with a 10-foot pole. It's a misconception that Indian people eat very spicy food, just as it's also a misconception that all Italian food should be laced with garlic. Phall curry is more of a British thing than anything else, and we Brits can be pretty crazy!
I once communicated with a famous Indian chef and he told me that the Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia chillies are not widely used throughout India. According to him, there is a region in India that doesn't use as many of the traditional Indian spices, but they do use Naga Morich and Bhut Jolokia chillies in small amounts, and this gives their cuisine a distinct flavour and also makes it much spicier than the cuisine from other regions of India. I assume he was referring to Nagaland in Northeast India, where I'm told that the food is much spicier compared to the food from other regions of the country.
Is Phall the Hottest Curry in the World?
Some people might consider it to be the hottest curry in the world and it has certainly held that title in the past. However, the reality is that certain people like to out-compete others and take things to more extreme levels. Just take a look at the world's hottest chilli shenanigans if you don't believe me. There will always be people who try to develop hotter and hotter chillies. A great way for an establishment to pull in egotistical maniacs and make money from them is to market a curry as being even hotter than phall. Another curry that made the news a few years ago was The Cinnamon Club's Bombay Burner, a curry which consisted of 24 Scotch Bonnet halves stuffed with extremely spicy minced lamb. The establishment even made customers sign a disclaimer before eating it! An Indian restaurant in Grantham, England, once served a curry which they named 'the widower'. It was made using 20 whole infinity chillies!
One problem I've found when posting a recipe for phall curry is that some people may consider it to be too spicy, and others who consider the eating of such curries to be more of a bravado thing will often claim that it's not hot enough. As with any curry, you can make it as hot as you wish just by adding more chilli powder and fresh chillies. However, if you have to shovel something down because it's too spicy then that's not enjoyment. You either like eating extremely spicy curries or you don't. Personally, a curry containing three teaspoons of chilli powder, four good-sized Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chillies or one or more Naga chillies and six to eight green or red finger chillies is about as hot as I like to go. I genuinely enjoy eating very hot curries from time to time and I have nothing to prove and nothing to gain by doing so.
Will I Need to Wear a Gas Mask When Preparing Phall Curry?
Probably not, but everyone else in your household might if you're not careful! It all depends when you add the superhot chillies to the pot. When preparing phall curry, it's not uncommon for some chefs to wear a full face respirator mask to protect themselves from the intense fumes from the superhot chillies after they add them to the pan. If you know how British Indian restaurant (BIR) curries are cooked then you'll understand why this happens. This is the main reason why I only add the Habanero, Scotch Bonnet or superhot chillies to the pot just before covering it and placing it into the oven. The fumes from superhot chillies can be extremely overpowering, and if you're not careful they can easily send your whole household into a wild coughing and sneezing frenzy! I've written more about cooking with superhot chillies over on my superhot chilli peppers page, if you're interested.
It's not just superhot chillies that can send you into a mad coughing and sneezing frenzy if you're not careful. It can also happen with Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and even the milder Cayenne or finger types, but obviously the hotter the chillies are the worse it is. About 14 years ago I grew an unknown 7-Pot strain, and to this day I still swear that it was the hottest chilli I've ever eaten! I remember adding half of one to a pot of curry sauce that was gently simmering away on the hob and the fumes were almost instantaneous. It sent everyone in the house into a mad sneezing frenzy and I had to open all of the downstairs windows. The chillies in question ripened to deep red and were blocky-shaped with a rough exocarp. They were absolutely lethal! Eating that curry was a challenge in and of itself and it was a curry that I'll never forget.
Anyway, my dear comrade, let's get to it. Here is my recipe for chicken phall and it has been a favourite curry of mine for many years. Whenever I'm in the mood for something extra spicy this is always my go-to curry of choice. I normally serve it with plain boiled rice, poppadoms, garlic and coriander naan or mixed vegetable pakora, homemade chutney, onion salad, yoghurt mint sauce or cucumber raita. If you follow the instructions carefully then you too can make one of the hottest curries in the world! Forget the lager louts; this one is for all of the Naga louts out there! As a final warning, just remember that this curry is far too spicy for the average person and it should only be served to those who are accustomed to eating extremely spicy food. Hopefully, I've not put you off, but if I have and you would like to make a milder curry instead then you could try my beef madras recipe or chicken madras recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 green cardamoms, cracked
- 2 cloves
- 1-inch piece cassia bark
- 400g finely diced white onion
- 3–4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 25g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 600–700g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6–8 fresh finger chillies (red or green), sliced into thin rings
- 12 tablespoons (200g) blended chopped tinned tomato
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 4+ Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chillies or 2+ superhot chillies, finely chopped (see notes)
- 50ml hot water
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Method:
- Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and black peppercorns into an electric coffee grinder and grind until fine. Add the chilli powder, paprika, turmeric and garam masala and pulse a few more times until everything is well mixed. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat and add the green cardamoms, cloves and cassia bark. Allow the spices to sizzle for about 30 seconds until they become fragrant.
- Add the onion, mix well and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until soft and translucent.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger and salt. Mix well and continue to fry for a further 30–40 minutes or until the mixture turns golden brown.
- Once the mixture has turned golden brown add the ground spices and mix well to ensure they are incorporated into the oil. Next, add the chicken and the fresh finger chillies. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. If at any point the spices start sticking to the bottom of the pot before the meat has started releasing its juices then just add a tablespoon of hot water and scrape them off with your spoon. Do not allow the spices to burn or it will ruin the flavour of the curry.
- Add the blended chopped tinned tomato, tomato puree, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet or superhot chillies, hot water, kasoori methi and freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix well, cover and then place into a preheated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 and cook for 45 minutes.
Notes:
- The temperatures listed in this recipe are for standard ovens and not fan assisted or convection ovens. Typically, when cooking with a fan assisted oven one would reduce the temperature by 20C/50F, but given how ovens do vary slightly I'll leave it up to you to decide. After all, you know your oven much better than I do.
- Any superhot chillies will work well in this curry. However, my superhot chilli of choice when making this is nearly always Dorset Naga (Naga Morich). I've also made it using Trinidad 7-Pot, Trinidad Scorpion, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia and Carolina Reaper and it has always turned out well. You can also make it using Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chillies if you wish.
- The recipe calls for 3 teaspoons of chilli powder to be added. Whether you use regular chilli powder, extra hot chilli powder or a mixture of both is entirely up to you. Personally, I just use regular chilli powder.
- When chopping up the Habanero, Scotch Bonnet or superhot chillies you should chop them up very finely. This will ensure that the capsaicin from the chillies is evenly distributed throughout the curry.
- You can give this curry an added chilli flavour by stirring in one or two thinly sliced fresh chillies (red or green) at the end of the cooking process.
- Always use the best quality chicken that you can afford. Curries made with poor quality chicken will always have an inferior flavour. I repeat this note in all of the meat-based recipes on the blog because it's true. However, it is especially true for chicken. Nowadays, chicken sold at supermarkets in the UK is vastly inferior to the chicken sold at your local butcher. Trust me; it's worth spending a little extra and buying the chicken breast from your local butcher instead.
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