Dish of Chicken Phaal
(click to enlarge)

Phaal


Anglo-Indian, Birmingham   -   [paal, phall, fall, phal]
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 #
***
1-3/4 hrs
Yes		 A curry developed in Birmingham, England so college guys could prove their manhood. Quite tasty, but chilis get their revenge here.

1
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1
1/2
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6
3
3
4
3/4
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4
1/2
1/4
1
1
1/2
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1
1
8
1
1
1/3
2
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ar
ar
ar
#
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t
t
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oz


cl
in
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T
t
T
t
T
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T
#
oz
c
t
t
T
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Chicken meat (1)  
-- Marinade
Salt
Pepper
-- Aromatics
Onions
Chilis, Hot (2)
Scallions
Garlic
Ginger
-- Masala
Cardamom Pods
Coriander Seed
Cumin Seed
Curry Powder (3)
Turmeric
Paprika
--------------
Oil
Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce (4)
Broth (5)
Salt
Pepper
Lime Juice
-- Garnish
Cilantro
Scallions
Parsley
PREP   -   (1-1/8 hrs)
  1. Cut CHICKEN into medium bite size pieces.
  2. Massage all Marinade items into the Chicken and set aside.
  3. Cut ONIONS in quarters lengthwise and slice crosswise fairly thin.
  4. Chop CHILIS fine, seeds and all.
  5. Slice SCALLIONS thin crosswise. Crush GARLIC and chop fine, Slice GINGER very thin crosswise, cut slices into threads and chop fine. Mix all.
  6. Make Masala:   Grind CARDAMOM, CORIANDER, and CUMIN in your spice grinder. Mix all Masala items.
  7. Scald TOMATOES 1 minute in boiling water, quench in cold water, peel and chop small. Mix with TOMATO SAUCE.
  8. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
  9. Chop Garnish items medium or as desired.
RUN   -   (40 min)
  1. In Wok or Sauté Pan (3 qt) heat Oil quite hot. Stir in Onions and Chilis and fry stirring until Onions are translucent, avoiding the fumes.
  2. Stir in Chicken and fry stirring over high heat until it has completely lost its raw color.
  3. Stir in Scallion mix for another minute, then stir in Masala.
  4. Stir in Tomato mix and Broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer until Chicken is tender, about 20 minutes.
  5. Serve hot with plenty of steamed Basmati Rice, garnished as desired. A Raita (cool Yogurt Salad) on the side is a good idea.
NOTES:

  1. Chicken:

      Weight given is for skinless boneless chicken meat. I prefer thigh meat for best flavor and texture. In India, Chicken is usually stripped of skin and all removable fat (except for tandoor), but see Broth.

  2. Chili, Hot

      Habaneros or Scotch Bonnet are the minimum; Naga Jolokia [Bhut Jolokia, Ghost Chili], yes!; Carolina Reaper, insanity!

  3. Curry Powder

      The default is Madras Curry Powder. Ship and Sun brands are good, or you can make it fresh by our recipe Madras Curry Powder.

  4. Tomato Sauce:

      A very simple tomato sauce is appropriate. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work.

  5. Broth:

      When preparing to do a recipe like this I buy bone-in skin-on Chicken Thighs, then make a strong broth from the skin, bones, and fat to flavor the curry. The fat is removed with a gravy separator.

  6. Raitas / Yogurt Salads:

      You will find several simple recipes for Raitas and closely related Yogurt Salads in our India section, Salads, Raitas. Pachardis.

  7. Comments:

      This curry was developed by Bangladeshi curry houses in Birmingham, England, to meet the demand, mostly from college guys, for something with more chili heat than Vindaloo. It is now made there mostly with Naga Jolokia chilis.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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