How do I make my curries VERY hot without them being bitter?

[chriswg]

I don't eat Phal's very often but when I do, they always have quite a few green chillies in them. They are always a lot hotter than the green finger chillies from Tesco too. I imagine a BIR will just follow a similar recipe to a Madras but add in triple the hot chilli powder and kick it up another notch with 4 or 5 chillies cut into long strips.

[jooools]

Hi

Was chatting to my local Indian Grocer recently and he told me how he fries a couple of small red chillies in hot oil for a few seconds before pouring over the final curry. 

[Cory Ander]

they always have quite a few green chillies in them....I imagine a BIR will just follow a similar recipe to a Madras but add in triple the hot chili powder and kick it up another notch with 4 or 5 chillies cut into long strips.

I agree that they no doubt bastardise a madras, but I have never seen a phal (nor a madras, nor a vindaloo) with fresh chilies in. 

The only curries I have seen with fresh chilies in are jalfrezis or something similar which advertises the fact that they contain fresh chilies.

[chriswg]

The last one I had had more green chillies than chicken!

I had an equally hot chicken chilli massala which was very much Phal hot. The head chef was on a day off and I think the replacement got his spices a bit wrong as they are usually between a Madras and a Vindaloo. It was about the only curry I have faced and not finished due to being too hot. The colour was very dark and it clearly contained plenty of chilli powder but it didn't taste bitter. The first few mouthfuls tasted lovely before I lost all sense of taste

[Mikka1]

Oddly and I forgot this yesterday. Over here they have Chilli powder and HOT Chilli powder. Someone told me the HOT stuff was Cayenne pepper. Burns yah ruddy mouth off truly. :-X

[adriandavidb]

I have to say, Corry, that if you don't know, nobody does! 

[JerryM]

i'd skipped over this one being happy at madras heat and can at a push go vindaloo.

however this might help.

i've only had phall ONCE. the bit of interest is that we asked the chef how he made it so hot. he brought out a plate of small bird's eye chilli's. we had to eat them and i'd say they weren't that hot (as hot as the phall). i am pretty sure the chef was on the level. i would guess he would have make a paste like the ashoka and the heat would be down to using a lot in the dish.

[chef2323]

Reading through the posts I think Jooools has the right idea.
I would look to make a chilli oil and use this through all the cooking.

I have not made chilli oil but I guess it is the same principle as say Basil or Lemon oil.
Very gently heat the oil in a pan, only just so it is warm.
Add some cut up chilli and let this stay in the warm oil for say 5 mins
then turn heat off
when the oil has cooled down pour through a sieve and keep in a jar in the fridge.
I would guess this will keep for ages

[976bar]

Oddly and I forgot this yesterday. Over here they have Chilli powder and HOT Chilli powder. Someone told me the HOT stuff was Cayenne pepper. Burns yah ruddy mouth off truly. :-X

Haven't been on here for a while, but I have always believed Cayenne pepper (6-8 on the scale ) to be milder than chilli powder, of course depending upon which chilli powder you use.

I would agree with Jerry, Birds Eye Chillis (8+ along with a thai variety called Tiny Terrors called Prik Kee Noo, (also known as mouse droppings!!!) are right up there at the top end of the scale when it comes to heat along with scotch bonnets (10) Habanero's (10), Manzano (9).

I doubt very much whether BIR's use the Prik Kee Noo's or Scotch Bonnets or Habaneros or Manzano. But I believe they would use birds eye chilli's as they are cheap and in plentiful supply.

I also think that making a chilli oil using hot chilli's will be like a good wine, it will only mature with age.

How many times have we all bought a hot curry, can't finish it all and put it in the fridge for a day or two? It always comes out tasting better and hotter the next time round........ as it has matured.....

I have grown green chilli's this year, which I have to say are nice and a medium heat, a little bit on the "not so sweet" side, but as with all chillis and peppers if you leave em long enough they mature, turn red and taste sweeter.

experiment with them, but certainly prepare a chilli oil with fresh chillis and let it mature.....