There’s a great opportunity for those who can cook a mean curry and fancy themselves in the Master Chef category for South Asian cuisine.

A TV Company is looking for nine chef contestants to compete for a head chef position at an Indian restaurant in Chiswick, London. This is part of a BBC Primetime series entitled, ‘Alex Polizzi: For Hire’ and those interested should contact the Production Company,’ TwoFour Broadcasting’ through Holly Wicks (holly.wicks@twofour.co.uk; tel 01752 727 485).

It is with collective sadness that balti aficionados note the closure of Saleem’s. Known for it’s balti at the hotter end of the spectrum, fiery dips and some mean kebabs, this baltihouse was well loved. Its signature framed picture of their family’s Pakistani wrestling ‘tag team’ will also live long in the memory. With its neighbours, Imran, having a full makeover, it’s likely trade suffered to the extent that it was no longer viable.

Thank you Saleem Waheed for the years of great service you gave to the Balti Triangle and, of course, Birmingham’s famous dish.

The Daily Mail, reporting on the Cheltenham Literature Festival (surprise surprise!), quoted Madhur Jaffray as saying, ‘balti is a craze that will die out as diners move on to more authentic Indian cuisine’ …. she dismissed balti, thought to have been invented in a Birmingham curry house in 1977 as ‘having origins in no place we would want to visit.’ It’s a shame that a culinary icon like Madhur has to stoop to these levels, coincidentally when she’s bringing a new book out. Eitherway she’s got her culinary knickers in a twist on this one for the following reasons…

• Balti is Pakistani Brummie, it’s NOT Indian.
• it is a ‘craze’ that’s lasted nigh on 40 years and the word ‘craze’ aptly describes its popularity which is nothing to be ashamed of.
• authenticity is about the development and/or invention of food not dates… one wonders if all Madhur’s recipes were being prepared and cooked in exactly the same way in India 300 years ago.
• her insult to Birmingham re the origins might have amused Cheltenham’s retired colonels as they enjoyed their ‘authentic’ kedgeree but it was a cheap shot by somebody who should know better.

Regards

Andy

After an absence of almost seven years, Adil is moving back to its old premises on Stoney Lane where it all began, almost 40 years ago. The restaurant will have an upstairs room for parties and is aiming to be open for business in early October.

Years ago, in the halycon early days of Balti, a lunchtime visit to a Baltihouse was a customary break from the stresses of the working week. However, as the recession bit, the Balti Triangle was generally ‘closed’ on a weekday lunchtime. Things now seem to be changing back to the ‘good ole days’ with Shabab on the Ladypool Road joining the likes of Shahi Nan Kebab House, Imran and Grameen Kadar as open for lunchtime business. Balti is a good value for money meal anyway but some of the restaurants even do a lunchtime ‘special’.

In San Francisco, there’s a fabulous food purveyor called Trader Joe’s which rivals Waitrose in its eclectic selection of quality and seasonal foods. However this month, Trader Joe has let himself down by trying to bring the Balti to the West Coast of the USA in the shape of the ubiquitous ‘Balti Pie’. To paraphrase Harry Enfield’s Mr. Angry, ‘Oi! Trader Joe, No! Stick to Pumpkin Pie!

I visited one of the Balti Triangle’s pioneer restaurants recently and they were depressingly downbeat due to the continued saturation of eateries in the area … particularly fast food joints. Last time I spoke to BCC Planning Dept, they said that they were clamping down on permissions on hot food outlets across the City … apart from the Balti Triangle. Not sure of the logic there!?

One of the Balti Triangle’s most popular restaurants, co-incidentally called The Popular, has undergone a makeover. This cosy restaurant has made an excellent job of the décor but, on my last visit, I’m sure that I spied a 21st Century version of flock wallpaper. What next? Black Forest Barfi?

The bid to secure ‘Traditional Status Guaranteed’ EU status rumbles on with the documentary evidence of the minimum 30 year origin rule now satisfied courtesy of the ‘Balsall Heathan’ magazine. Next up is another visit from DEFRA … a genuinely helpful bunch but not helped by the pernickety Eurocrats. Apparently, a number of previous attempts by British producers for EU status have failed with the applicants giving up the ghost after many years of trying … however, we press on. I suppose it’s typical and perhaps, I should write to Nigel Farage … or there again, perhaps not.