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Home » Recipes » Phaal Curry Recipe: The Hottest Curry in the World

Phaal Curry Recipe: The Hottest Curry in the World

by Mike Hultquist · Apr 1, 2020 · 89 Comments

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Phaal Curry Recipe - the Hottest Curry in the World

With this phaal curry recipe, you can make the spiciest, hottest curry in the world with chicken, loads of seasonings, and extra fiery ghost peppers. And, I'll show you how to make it even hotter!

Phaal Curry Recipe - the Hottest Curry in the World

Hottest Curry in the World - Phaal Curry!

It's spicy hot curry in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends, and when I say "spicy hot", I truly mean spicy hot! Why? Because today we're making Phaal Curry, and if you've never tried it, you're in for a wonderful experience.

This is a recipe for true spicy food lovers, so be warned. However, I discuss how you can lower that heat a bit in the Recipe Tips & Notes section below. And also how to make it even hotter!

But first...

What is Phaal Curry?

Phaal curry is considered one of the hottest curries in the world, and the hottest of Indian curries, even hotter than vindaloo. It is a British Asian curry that originated in Birmingham, UK restaurants.

It is often made with fiery habanero peppers or scotch bonnet peppers, though many restaurants are now making it with ghost peppers, which are incredibly hot for most people. 

Phaal curry goes by other names and spellings, like phal or phall curry, fall curry, faal or fahl curry or paal curry. It is usually served as a tomato-based curry, which I have done here, and I am using ghost peppers, which not only bring the heat, but a wonderfully fruity flavor that I love.

Let's talk about how to make phaal curry, shall we?

Phaal Curry Ingredients

  • Chicken Breast. Or you can use chicken thigh, or lamb.
  • Vegetable Oil. For cooking.
  • Ghost Peppers. You can sub in habaneros for more manageable heat, or use even milder peppers.
  • Other Vegetables. Onion, green onion, garlic.
  • Tomatoes. Tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
  • Spices. Ginger, curry powder, paprika, cardamom powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and black pepper.
  • Chicken Broth or Stock. Vegetable broth or stock is good, too.
  • Lime Juice.
  • For Serving. Chopped cilantro, spicy chili flakes or parsley, cooked rice.

How to Make Phaal Curry - the Recipe Method

First, season the chopped chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok to medium heat.

Add the ghost peppers and onion. Cook them down about 5 minutes, until the peppers and onions have softened. It's a good idea to cook in a well-ventilated room with ghost peppers. I tossed in a couple serrano pepper as well because I love them.

Add the chicken and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring  a bit, until the chicken is mostly cooked through. 

Next, add in the garlic, ginger and most of the green onions. Cook another minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add in the curry powder, paprika, cardamom, turmeric and cumin. Give it a stir.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes and chicken broth and stir. Bring to a quick boil and reduce the heat.

Simmer for 15 minutes or more to let the flavors develop, and the chicken to cook through. The curry will thicken up a bit for you.

Serve the spicy chicken curry over prepared white rice, then squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top.

Top with extra green onions, parsley or cilantro, spicy chili flakes and lime slices or wedges.

Boom! Done! Easy curry recipe, isn't it? Most curries are super easy to make, even the hottest curry in the world. Crazy hot! Perfect for my spicy food lover people.

Chicken Phaal Curry in a bowl, ready to eat

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • The Peppers. Most phaal curry recipes will call for hot peppers, like the habanero pepper or scotch bonnet peppers, which are roughly 300,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale. Those are definitely hot, but ghost peppers are very commonly used. Ghost peppers tip the heat scale at over 1 Million SHU. They really bring the heat!
  • Lower the Heat. If you're looking for a milder version of this recipe that still has a good heat level, go with a single habanero pepper, but core it out first. Or, you can make it with serrano peppers, which are about 50,000 SHU. Still hot, but not crazy.
  • Make it Even Hotter. Want to make this a true "hottest curry in the world" recipe? Make it with Carolina Reaper peppers, the hottest peppers in the world at the moment. Try it with other superhot chili peppers too, like 7-Pot peppers or scorpion peppers. Oh baby! You can also use extra hot chili powders, sauces and seasonings. Light it up!
  • The Proteins. I used chunks of chicken breast for this recipe, but it realistically works with any protein. Try it with chicken breast, chicken thigh, chunks of lean pork, shrimp, fish, or tofu.

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my phaall curry recipe. This one will really spice you up! I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Red Curry
  • Chicken Korma
  • Spicy Beef Vindaloo
  • Spicy Thai Curry Chicken Soup
  • Coconut Chicken Curry
  • Chickpea Curry
  • Khao Soi – Northern Thai Coconut Curry Soup
  • Thai Shrimp Curry
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken
  • Japanese Curry
  • Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken
  • Chilli Pickle
  • Curry Recipes
Chicken Phaal Curry in a bowl

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Phaal Curry Recipe - the Hottest Curry in the World
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Phaal Curry Recipe: The Hottest Curry in the World

With this phaal curry recipe, you can make the spiciest, hottest curry ever with chicken, loads of seasonings, and extra fiery ghost peppers. And, I'll show you how to make it even hotter!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Indian
Keyword: chicken, curry, spicy, superhot
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Calories: 343kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 4
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5 from 32 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breast chopped (or use lamb)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 ghost peppers chopped (use habanero peppers for less intense heat, or use extra hot peppers like 7 Pot peppers, scorpion peppers, or the hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper, for the hottest phaal curry ever!)
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder I use 2 tablespoons in mine!
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes or use equivalent fresh
  • 1 cup chicken broth or use vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice from fresh limes + lime wedges for serving
  • Chopped cilantro and spicy chili flakes or parsley for serving
  • 2 cups cooked rice for serving

Instructions

  • Season the chopped chicken with a bit of salt and pepper.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok to medium heat.
  • Add the ghost peppers and onion. Cook them down about 5 minutes, until the peppers and onions have softened. It's a good idea to cook in a well-ventilated room with ghost peppers.
  • Add the chicken and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring  a bit, until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
  • Next, add in the garlic, ginger and most of the green onions. Cook another minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add in the curry powder, paprika, cardamom, turmeric and cumin. Give it a stir.
  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the diced tomatoes and chicken broth and stir. Bring to a quick boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or more to let the flavors develop, and the chicken to cook through.
  • Serve the spicy chicken curry over prepared white rice, then squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top.
  • Top with extra green onions, parsley or cilantro, spicy chili flakes and lime slices or wedges.

Notes

Heat Factor: VERY HOT++. Phaal curry is the hottest curry in the world, so expect some heat, my friends! You can adjust the heat down with milder peppers, or go even hotter with superhot chili peppers, like the Carolina Reaper.
Calories calculated with rice.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 343kcal   Carbohydrates: 39g   Protein: 30g   Fat: 8g   Saturated Fat: 4g   Cholesterol: 73mg   Sodium: 363mg   Potassium: 1047mg   Fiber: 5g   Sugar: 7g   Vitamin A: 926IU   Vitamin C: 88mg   Calcium: 84mg   Iron: 4mg
Phaal Curry Recipe - the Hottest Curry in the World
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Daniel Lincoln says

    April 18, 2025 at 7:10 pm

    5 stars
    I just cooked this for dinner, really amazing. It's good, and the flavors blend beautifully together, and the color is vibrant as well.
    I made a few tweaks for myself: I used ghee instead of oil to make it a bit richer, chicken thighs instead of breasts since those do better in curries, and I substituted one of the ghost peppers for a Carolina Reaper.
    Still just slightly not hot enough, so I think I may add a couple normal red chilies next time in addition to the rest next time.
    But it's a good recipe all around, cooking is all about making small adjustments, but the canvas you created is great.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      April 19, 2025 at 6:22 am

      Awesome, Daniel! Glad you enjoyed it. I agree, recipe can be a guide, meant to be adjust to taste. Cheers!

      Reply
  2. Megan-Lee says

    February 17, 2025 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    I just tried your recipe tonight and it was an absolute game changer! I decided to supplement the chicken for a firm tofu which I've never had in a curry before and it went really well too! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and can't wait to try the others out!

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      February 18, 2025 at 6:37 am

      You are very welcome Megan-Lee - enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Lee Nauger says

    January 27, 2025 at 11:55 pm

    Hi In your phaal curry if i wanted to make it with Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Chillis how many would I use in the recipe above - Replace 1:1 ?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      January 28, 2025 at 12:23 am

      Lee, yes, 1:1 ratio, though you can adjust with more or less. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  4. Alice says

    October 09, 2024 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    Hello Mike. I made this yesterday using your recipe. I used two tablespoons of ghost pepper flakes for the heat which was just perfect for my liking. I am the only one in the the household who can handle it so all the more curry for me. 🙂

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      October 10, 2024 at 3:37 am

      Haha, thank you, Alice. I am glad you are enjoying it!

      Reply
  5. Tom says

    July 23, 2024 at 8:37 am

    5 stars
    Hey Mike, I’m planning on making this recipe at the weekend. I have some dried Carolina reapers. Do you think it would be ok to rehydrate them and use as the recipe suggests? So cook them with the onions?

    I was also going to stick to 3 reapers. Does this sound ok?

    Many thanks,
    Tom

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 23, 2024 at 8:40 am

      Hey, Tom. Yes, you can do that. Should work fine. Yes, 3 ghost peppers. It will be very spicy this way! If you're concerned, you can try it with just 1 and see how you like it. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Tom says

        July 27, 2024 at 12:22 pm

        5 stars
        Hey Mike,
        Made the curry tonight, absolutely fantastic recipe! I used a dry carolina reaper, so I crushed it and added it with the rest of the spices. I went for just the 1 reaper to start with, and cooked the onions with some red habeneros at the start (2). The spice was perfect for me, I think anymore would have been too much, the misses loved it too! Thanks for the recipe and response, will be sure to check out more if your recipes 🙂

        Reply
        • Mike Hultquist says

          July 27, 2024 at 12:28 pm

          Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed it, Tom!

          Reply
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