| Alternate name | Fall, faal, phaal, phal, fal[1] |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Region | Birmingham |
| Main ingredient | chilli peppers (scotch bonnet, habanero or Carolina Reaper peppers), tomatoes, ginger, choice of protein |
Phall (Bengali: ফাল)[a] is an extremely hot curry that originated in Britain, specifically in the Bangladeshi-owned curry-houses of Birmingham, England, in 1971.
British Bangladeshi curry
Phall is a curry that originated in the Bangladeshi-owned curry-houses of Birmingham, England, in 1971. It is not to be confused with the char-grilled, gravyless, finger food phall from Bangalore. It is the hottest form of curry regularly available, even hotter than the vindaloo, using many ground standard chilli peppers, or a hotter type of chilli such as scotch bonnet, habanero, or Carolina Reaper.[2][3] The dish is a tomato-based thick curry and includes ginger and optionally fennel seeds.[4] Phall has achieved notoriety as the spiciest generally available dish from Indian restaurants.[5]
In 2008 in the UK, a charity competition in Hampshire was based on competitors eating increasingly hot phalls.[6]
Notes
- ^ Phall is also spelt fall, faal, phaal, fahl, and fal.
References
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 in Four - From balti to bhuna: the ultimate guide to curry". BBC. Retrieved 2026-03-21.
- ^ "From balti to bhuna: the ultimate guide to curry". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ Chapman, Pat (1988). Favourite Restaurant Curries. London: Piatkus, The Curry Club. p. 35. ISBN 978-0749917425.
- ^ "Advice for Eating in an Indian Restaurant in Britain". BBC. Archived 26 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ Koh, Emily: The Phaal Challenge at Brick Lane Curry House: Spiciest Curry Ever? (The Taste of Pain), 23 June 2008. Accessed on 20 June 2021.
- ^ "Curry lovers take on hottest ever dish for charity". Southern Daily Echo. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2008.