The British Bangladeshi curry widely known as one of the hottest restaurant curries is phall.
Phall emerged in Britain’s Bangladeshi-owned curry houses, particularly in Birmingham, and is generally described as a thick, tomato-based curry. Restaurants may prepare it with chicken, lamb, or another protein, along with ginger and large quantities of very hot chillies. Common choices include Scotch bonnets and habaneros, while some modern challenges use Carolina Reapers.
Its reputation comes from heat rather than a single standardized recipe. Phall is commonly placed above vindaloo on British curry-house heat scales, but the actual intensity varies considerably by restaurant, chilli variety, quantity, and preparation. “Hottest” is therefore best understood as a description of its usual restaurant position, not a universal laboratory ranking.
Phall is also easy to confuse with similarly spelled dishes. The British curry is distinct from a char-grilled, gravy-free “phall” associated with Bangalore. Spelling varies too: menus may use phaal, fall, faal, fahl, or fal. Charity eating competitions have helped turn the dish into a public test of chilli tolerance.