Phaal
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Phaal, sometimes spelt as phall or paal, is an Indian curry dish, red to red-orange in colour. It is widely reputed to be one of the hottest form of curry available, even hotter than the Vindaloo, with at least 10 or 12 ground chillies included in a standard portion.
The phaal has achieved a certain degree of notoriety as the hottest generally available dish from Indian restaurants, so much so that many of them do not actually list it on their menus and will only cook it if specifically requested. Cases have occurred where customers have vomited or passed out as a result of the extreme level of chilli contained in a Phall[citation needed].
It tends to have quite a bitter taste; somewhat near in taste to a Madras curry.
Phaal is not an Indian dish at all and Indians in India will probably look totally blank if you ask them for a Phaal. It, probably, is like the Chicken Tikka Masala, and has been created purely to satisfy curry restaurant diners who wanted to eat the strongest curry possible.
A particularly strong phaal, known as P'hall, is served, albeit with a disclaimer, in New York City, at Brick Lane Curry House. The restaurant was featured on Jim O' Connor's Food Network episode of "The Secret Life of...Fiery Foods." The chef creating the P'hall was shown wearing a gas mask while cooking. The owner, Sati Sharma, mentions in the episode P'hall originated in England as a dare for inebriated curry enthusiasts. The Brick Lane Curry House's recipe for P'hall contains the Naga Jolokia or Tezpur chilli, the hottest pepper in the world.
In the UK, there are certain restaurants that also serve up a particularly hot version of a phaal known as a tindaloo. The tindaloo is similar to a phaal, but is usually laced with extra chopped chillies to add more heat. Often the hottest varieties of chilli are used such as Scotch bonnets.
Contrary to popular belief, water is not the most effective help in softening the amount of heat received from a curry. Capsaicin, the compound found in chillies which creates the sensation of heat, is lipophilic and therefore dissolves more readily in oils & fats than water. This means that milk or a lassi is the preferred remedy to the discomfort of excess 'heat'.
The Phaal is actually a Bangladeshi curry traditionally served with fish as the main meat.
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