Welcome
to the land of the Balti
Birmingham is renowned for it. The capital of
Baltiland. The word 'Balti' literally translated
means bucket. However, this was originally an
earthen dish with handles on. Nowadays it tends
to be a cast iron pot. So, just what is a balti?
Where did it come from?
The Balti is an Indian dish. Some argue it was
introduced to the city by the Kashmiri immigrants.
Some will tell you that in its present form
it is an invention of Birmingham. It is a type
of curry. The food is cooked quickly in some
ways akin to a stir fry. The ingredients are
generally fresh meat and/or vegetables which
are first marinated and then cooked with spices.
The meal is served piping hot as soon as it
has been cooked. There are many variations of
the balti and many restaurants claim to have
the best version. The dish contains spices such
as coriander, ginger, cumin, cloves, cassia
bark amongst others. It is best sampled with
naan bread or chapattis.
Birmingham is full of well known Baltihouses
that are generally found in the Sparkhill, Sparkbrook
areas of the city. Ladypool Road is one such
location where a meal out and a good balti can
be found at the most reasonable of prices. These
areas are where the best balti houses can generally
be found. Many are not licensed for alcohol
but you can take your own. The best baltis tend
to come from the basic and popular restaurants
that are often crowded and known to the locals
for the quality of their food rather than the
ambiance of the surroundings.
People from far afield already know what a good
balti tastes like and whilst it may seem like
a new food fad, the people of Birmingham have
been used to it for years. You would be hard
pushed to find someone from Birmingham who had
not tried this wonderful dish.
According to ABRA and the Birmingham City Council
who carried out a survery on the consumption
of Baltis the following information was recorded:
Around 50% go for a balti at least once
a fortnight
Around 60% go for a balti at weekends
14% come from outside the West Midlands
65% are loyal customers to a particular
restaurant
Over 70% rated the service as good or
better
Over 85% rated food as good or better
60% feel safe coming into the area
40% go for a balti more frequently than
3 years ago
There is even a move to create a Birmingham
Balti Academy.
Balti
Beer - You think we are joking? Well we
are not. There is now a Balti Beer courtesy
of Aston Manor Brewery. Aston Manor Brewery
tell us that the Balti Beer is specifically
designed to enhance the richness and flavours
of the spices found in traditional Indian Food.
Take a look at their website at www.astonmanor.co.uk
