Topic: CA's Chicken Phal

[Cory Ander]

CA's Chicken Phal (chicken in a very hot, tangy, sauce)

serves 2

Ingredients:

• 90ml vegetable oil
• 400g of chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons of fresh garlic (pureed)
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger (pureed)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (diluted by adding 4 tablespoons of water to it)
• 2 heaped teaspoons of curry masala (here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3765.0)
• 4 heaped teaspoons of hot chili powder (or more to taste, if you're up for it!)
• 0.25 teaspoons of salt (or to taste)
• 400ml of curry base (here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3772.0)
• 2 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste - optional)
• fresh chopped coriander (to garnish - optional

Method:

• Heat the curry base to a gentle simmer (in a separate pan)
• Heat the oil in a suitable pan
• Add the chicken pieces and stir fry to just seal the outsides (i.e. until just white)
• Add the garlic and ginger pastes
• Stir fry, for about 2 minutes, until just golden (do not burn!)
• Add the curry masala, chili powder and salt
• Stir fry, for about 30 seconds, to coat the chicken
• Add the tomato puree and stir to coat the chicken
• Fry, for about 2 minutes, until the oil begins to separate from the spice/tomato mix
• Add about 100ml of curry base and stir
• Fry, for about a minute, until the oil begins to separate again
• Add the remaining curry base
• Add the sugar (if using)
• Continue to simmer, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency and the oil begins to separate again
• Serve, garnished with fresh coriander (if using)

Notes:

• You can use any other oil (e.g. spiced oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, ghee), if you prefer, but the result may be different
• You can use any other decent curry base, if you prefer, but the result may be different
• You can use precooked chicken (or meat, or prawns) - just add it, together with the remaining curry base, and make sure it is heated thoroughly
• I use 5ml teaspoons and 15ml tablespoons (level volumes)

Here are a couple of photos of the resultant Chicken Phal:

[Cory Ander]

This is the chili powder I use.  It is very red and very hot.  Perfect (and highly recommended)! 

[bmouthboyo]

Cannot wait to try this. Can I ask are no fresh chillies used? Looks like a scotch bonnet in your second pic. And is that 2 tablespoons of garlic? Also where do you get your chilli powder?

Thank you very much for sharing

[Cory Ander]

Can I ask are no fresh chillies used? Looks like a scotch bonnet in your second pic. And is that 2 tablespoons of garlic? Also where do you get your chili powder?

Thank you very much for sharing

Hi BMB,

• You can add fresh chillies, if you like (I suggest you mince them and add them with the curry base).  However, I find that Habeneros (i.e. Scotch Bonnet), although nice and hot, add a particular flavour I personally don't like too much (and it's not a flavour I have ever had in a BIR Phal before).  Perhaps add Birds Eye chillies, or more extra hot chili powder (if you want more "piquancy")?
• Yes, 2 tablespoons of garlic.  Use less (or more) if you prefer.  But that's how I personally like it.  Many things, in this game, are optional
• I get the chili powder in Australia.  I have no idea if it is available in the UK?  Though I think "Everest" brand is quite world widely available?  Either way, it's very good.  Otherwise, use some combination of "extra hot" chili powder - for piquancy - and Kashmiri chili powder - for colour - if you prefer)
• I admit I don't really know how to get the mind numbing hotness that BIRs (used to) get in their Phals (the best, for me, gives you hiccups before you even take the first mouthful!).  I asked the question, over 4 years ago, but have never had a convincing answer.  So I am still none the wiser

[alarmist10]

Thanks for sharing another recipe, CA.

I was a bit worried about the 90ml of vegetable oil to start with - about 6tbsp according to my reckoning - but then the finished article in the pics you posted looks 'the dog's'!  Can I ask why you recommend so much oil for this recipe when your Bhuna and Madras, for example, call for only 3 tbsp??
Cheers
al.

[loveitspicy]

This is the chili powder I use.  It is very red and very hot.  Perfect (and highly recommended)! 

The same chili powder i use here in Thailand


and may i say CA the curry looks fantastic!!!!!

best, Rich

[Cory Ander]

The same chili powder i use here in Thailand

Small world!  What do you think of it?  I love it, for it's great combination of colour and piquancy.

and may i say CA the curry looks fantastic!!!!!

Certainly not!   

Thanks LIS 

[Cory Ander]

I was a bit worried about the 90ml of vegetable oil to start with - about 6tbsp according to my reckoning - but then the finished article in the pics you posted looks 'the dog's'!  Can I ask why you recommend so much oil for this recipe when your Bhuna and Madras, for example, call for only 3 tbsp??

Hi Al,

Good observation and question.  Several points and reasons:

• This recipe calls for 90ml of oil (i.e. 6 tablespoons), whereas my Madras and Bhuna recipes call for 75ml of oil (i.e. 5 tablespoons)
• This recipe serves 2, whereas my Madras and Bhuna recipes serve 1 to 2
• There is 400g of chicken in this recipe, whereas there is 300g in my Madras and Bhuna recipes
• There is a heap load of chili powder in this recipe.  I don't want to burn it (or anything else) through lack of oil, when frying.  You need to be very careful, when cooking the chili powder, to get the rawness out of it without making it bitter
• Generally, my advice would be to rather use "too much" oil (and spoon off any surplus at the end of cooking - which I didn't do here) rather than use too little oil

Hope that helps Al?

[alarmist10]

That helps a lot, CA.  As usual, a clear summary of points and the reaasons for them.  Thanks very much.  There doesn't seem to be any excess oil in the photos.......presumably all used up with the excess spices.

Your reply has also cleared up another mystery for me!  I have been using your Madras recipe V-E-R-Y often, but as you've guessed from my earlier post, got my measures wrong and used only 3 tbsp of oil.  In more recent versions of the dish I've taken to using 4 tbsp (and maybe a bit more) and have seen a definite improvement in both the flavour and 'on-plate' look of the finished curry!  Now the reason is obvious!  Thanks for that one as well.

al.

[bmouthboyo]

Thanks CA another great Curry

We both enjoyed this one, however either my GF has eaten too many of my curries or this could for us have done with being a little hotter.

I have been experimenting with dried Bhut Jolokia I got cheap on ebay in your Madras, and although it is too hot to be called a Madras tastes amazing so might try one of those chillies in this.

Thanks again CA