"Proper British. Properly curry."
Phaal was created in Birmingham in the 1970s-80s, emerging from the Bangladeshi-owned curry houses that dominated Britain's Indian restaurant scene at the time. Created to be the hottest curry on the menu to satisfy (or punish) late-night diners, often fueled by a few too many pints, who would boast about their spice tolerance. It typically contains an obscene quantity of the hottest chilies available. Phaal has no roots in authentic Indian or Bangladeshi cuisine whatsoever — it is purely a product of British curry house culture, competitive masculinity, and a love of pushing things to their absolute limit.
