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!
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.
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 Trinidad 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!
This Recipe Is In our Cookbook - FLAVOR MADNESS
Did you know that you can find this recipe in our new cookbook FLAVOR MADNESS? It's waiting for you on PAGE 159.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
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
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
Nutrition Information
Robert Graham says
Tried your take on Phall.
Certainly hits the spot.
I added jaggery to mine.
Made it in to a lamb Pathia on steroids.
Gorgeous.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Robert.
Mike says
sounds a silly question. should I be able to get the ingredients from Morrisons?
Mike Hultquist says
Mike, not sure about that store, but you should be able at a typical grocery store.
Blackfel says
Hello Mike, I am considering making this recipe sometime next week as I have been in the mood for some spicy curry, but am not particularly interested in going out to a restaurant.
Unfortunately however, we have already processed down all of our Ghost Peppers from the garden into a dried powder. Would you say that having fresh peppers is an integral part of the dish, or would simply adding some of the powder at the same stage of the rest of the spices have a roughly analogous result? If so, about how much powder would you recommend using as a substitute?
In any case, thank you for recipe, and for all the other wonderful information you post here. 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
I would use other fresh peppers in place of the fresh ghost peppers, then add 1 tsp ghost powder with the other seasonings. You can adjust from there. Let me know how it goes. Enjoy!
Fredy Forster says
Mike, I cooked this PhalCurry today, using four habanero peppers, one Carolina reaper, two Cayenne peppers, two Chili Arbol peppers, one teaspoon Kashmiri pepper and one teaspoon of my own mix of "ghost peppers, scorpion peppers, mutant X peppers, chocolate habanero peppers and big mustard mama peppers".
It turned out absolutely wonderful, great taste and some serious heat. Thanks for this great recipe.
Will definitely do this again.
Mike H. says
I am glad that you are enjoying it, Fredy. Thank you!
Loz says
No fennel seeds?
Mike Hultquist says
Why not? It's YOUR recipe now. Enjoy!
james scott says
This was so so so good. One of the best curries I've made, a beautifully spiced! Next time I think I'll go even hotter 😉
Thanks mate.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, James! Thanks for sharing!
Titleist says
I loved it. 3 ghost peppers (my homegrown variant was the hottest I ever grew, hotter than my Reaper) was just right. Any more and it would have been impossible to discern the finer tastes, less and it would have been just another ordinary hot Indian dish. I think this one needs heat. I took lamb. My curry powder was one I got from an Indian chef a while ago and it is in itself hot and spicy. Really nice recipe with the right touch.
I have seen other stupid recipes of Phaal on the net with 8 Bhuts and a lot of extra hot powder on top. If you don't like food, I recommend eating the ghost peppers raw - should not taste much different.
I'll be back here.
Greetings from Munich, Germany
Mike Hultquist says
I hear you! I love the flavor first, then the heat. Thanks for sharing!!
Your Spiced says
phaal curry i tired your recipe for the first time.it is really good and yummy
Chris says
This was an excellent recipe! I wanted to get some Phaal but I couldn’t find a single Indian restaurant in the entire state that made it. So this was the only real option for enjoying Phaal. I ordered ghost peppers from Ghostly Hots (they grow and sell ghost peppers all year, including in the winter if you want a place to recommend to people for getting fresh ghost peppers).
I made this with 4 ghost peppers, 3 habaneros, and I put in a 1/4 teaspoon of each of the pepper powders I used in this (Reaper, Scorpion, Ghost, and Habanero).
It tasted great but the flavor of 4 ghosts was a little bit overpowering. Next time I’ll use 3 ghosts, 3 scotch bonnets (better flavor and mouth feel), and 1-2 Carolina Reapers (more fruity and floral flavors). As well as less turmeric and more cumin.
Thanks for this recipe, this was great!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Chris. Yeah, you got some REAL heat there! I appreciate you sharing your comments! Enjoy!!
John Wrosch says
I made using 5 ghost peppers and two habanaros. Was good an decently spicy. Will make again.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice. That'll bring the heat for sure, John! I love it.
Gino says
Wow what ahot curry I decided to add 4 ghost chillies and hot scotch 4 of too and scorpion chillies my arse hasn't stopped burning for two days I will decently try that curry again thanx
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yeah, that'll really spice it up for you, Gino! Glad you enjoyed it, burning booty and all!
Seth Rolfe says
We use 2 1/2 dining sppons of carolina reaper. Cooking it is like a chemical weapon attack, but the actual curry is divine!
Stew says
Hi Michael
Is your phaal recipe in any of your books?
The best phaal I ever had was in the Indian Restaurant at the Railway Pub in Westbury on Severn in the Forest of Dean, England, and I am trying to recreate it?
Stew
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Hi, Stew. I do not. This is my personal recipe, though there are different ways to make it. I wish I could try the version at the Railway Pub!
James says
I have not made it yet but wanted to ask if dried, flakey Carolina reapers would be just as good, I want it to taste hot and nice but couldn’t get hold of fresh ones, will dried ones ruin the dish? And how many dried Carolinas should I use?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
James, absolutely. Some nice chili flakes will do GREAT here. I would start with 1/2 of one, but really use to your heat preference. Let me know how it turns out for you.