Chicken tikka naga curry

[Lysander]

Anyone tried one of these here from their local tandoori? It can certainly give a phal a run for its money. Had one last night and it was pretty powerful to begin with and then the heat ramped up considerably throughout the meal. I struggled to finish it in the end. I would say it's somewhere between a vindaloo and a phal.

Still, would do it again

 

[Lysander]

So you don’t like hot weather but a fiery anus is no problem?

Yes indeed. Spot on.

 

[Lysander]

What's it like (aside from very hot) - is it like a hotter tikka masala?

The sauce isn't creamy, it's more tomato-based and dark. Similar to a vindaloo sauce but thicker, and there's a little less of it.

As for taste, it's quite sharp and tangy and you can taste the garlic. It's an interesting flavour and not the kind of dull thud you get from a vindaloo and not as fruity as a well-done phal.

I personally find vindaloo to be a good all-rounder for heat and flavour. I've had amazing phals and terrible phals. Ironically I was looking for an amazing phal on my 40th birthday and ended up having a dreadful one in Brick Lane which was like the chef had tipped an entire packet of curry powder into a bowl. Still, the beer was amazing.

If in doubt, I always go for vindaloo or jalfrezi, or a madras if I want to play it safe.

 

[Lysander]

That's probably a bit too hot for me but I would recommend a hot chicken tikka massala. I've seen most places do a variation of this. The extra heat really cuts though the creaminess of the curry.

That's interesting. I imagine it would be quite good as a madras.

 

[Lysander]

Had another of these last night at a restaurant in Greenwich. It was high on the flavour but not so much on the heat, I had to ask for them to add additional green chilis.

It must be hard for Indian restaurants to select how hot to make their 'hot' dishes. I've had vindaloos that are positively mild and some much hotter. They must have to strike a balance between what a seasoned customer would enjoy and what a newbie could take to show off to his mates.