Phaal Food

PHALL (THE HOTTEST CURRY OF ALL!)

Steps:

• Fry the meat in a pan in half the ghee or oil, until sealed (5 to 10 minutes). Set aside.
• Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until golden in remaining ghee or oil.
• Mix the spices with a little water to make a paste.
• Add to the onion mixture and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato (tinned, ketchup and puree) and chilies.
• Cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Combine the meat and all ingredients in a casserole dish and cook in a pre-heated oven at 400 deg F, Gas 6 for 45 to 60 minutes. (Alternatively, add meat back to the pan with the mixture and cook covered on low heat for an hour. At this stage you can also just throw it all into the slow cooker if you prefer.).

PHAAL

Steps:

• Place tomatoes, water, garlic, ginger, tomato puree, salt, ghost peppers, chili powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and black pepper into a blender and pulse several times to chop. Blend the ingredients until liquefied. Be careful, ghost chilies will burn eyes, mouth, or nose if touched.
• Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl and stir in lamb to coat; let lamb marinate at least 1 hour in refrigerator.
• Heat clarified butter in a large pan over medium-high heat and cook onion until lightly golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the lamb and marinade into the skillet and bring to a boil; cook and stir until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until lamb is tender, about 20 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

EASY CHICKEN PHAAL

Steps:

• Heat ghee in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and cook and stir red onion in the hot butter until starting to brown, about 8 minutes; stir in garlic and fresh ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir in chicken pieces and cook and stir until lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes.
• Mix ground fennel, lal mirchi, cumin, coriander, ground ginger, fenugreek, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper in a bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons water or as needed to make a paste; stir into the chicken and fry spice paste for 2 minutes. Pour in remaining 1/4 cup water and fry the spices and chicken until the water has almost evaporated, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent spices from burning.
• Mix in jwala chiles, habanero chiles, and tomatoes; cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are softened and start to break apart, about 10 minutes. If chicken is still slightly pink inside, stir in more water, a tablespoon at a time, and cook until water has evaporated and chicken is cooked through.

RESTAURANT STYLE LAMB PHAAL CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When visibly hot, add the chopped onions and fry for three to five minutes or until soft and translucent.
• Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for 30 seconds, then add the blended habanero chillies.
• Stir in the Mr Naga paste.
• Add the mixed powder and Kashmiri chilli powder followed by the tomato puree and stir to combine, then add about 125ml (½ cup) of the base sauce.
• Allow this to come to a simmer. This is a good time to add the pre-cooked lamb. Stir to coat in the sauce.
• Add more base sauce whenever the curry is looking dry and simmer again, only stirring if the sauce is sticking to the pan. As you cook, the sauce will caramelise to the side of the pan. Stir this in as it adds flavour.
• Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle the kasoori methi over the top by rubbing it between your fingers.
• To serve, garnish with the garam masala and coriander.