Hari Phal (Green Spicy Curry)

Dr. Shabana Saleem an MBBS, DNB (Family Medicine), is an food enthusiast, who enjoys reading and cooking up traditional and new dishes in her spare time. She shares yet another deliciously spicy traditional Muslim dish – called Hari Phal. If you’re wondering it is a fruit, it’s not. Read on to find out more…

Phal is a traditional Muslim word that is used mostly in Bangalore and Mysore, which means curry or a dish that is prepared with a lot of chilies. Traditionally it is very spicy dish, but it need not necessarily be a curry, it can be dry with very little gravy. There can be various kinds of phals that are prepared with red chilies, pepper corns and green chilies and accordingly the name. The phal can be had with roti or parantha or sometimes with rice and dal.

Ingredients

• chicken, lamb or beef – 500gms
• green chillies – 6 big nos.
• pepper corns -15 to 20 nos.
• ginger garlic paste- 2 tablespoons
• fresh coriander- 2 large bunches
• onions – 2 big nos.
• oil- 2 to 3 tablespoons
• turmeric powder – half tea spoon
• salt to taste

Procedure

1)    Grind the onion, green chillies, ginger garlic, fresh coriander and pepper corns with a little water and make into a thick paste.

2)    Heat oil in the pan and add the ground paste and fry.

3)    Add turmeric and salt and fry well till the oil leaves the side of the pan.

4)    Add the meat and sauté well.

5)    Add half a cup of water and pressure cook till done.

6)    On high flame dry up all the excess water.

7)    Garnish with coriander.

Text and photograph by: Dr. Shabana Saleem.