Yet again, it appears that the local authority and partners have gone cool on the National Capital of Curry competition, due to be held in the Autumn. Proposals sent to the local authority, local paper, and the College of Cakes have met with that ultimate weapon of public servants … ‘silence’!
I was at Shabab recently for a visit of the ‘Discovery Channel’ programme makers who were filming a programme about curries and wanted to cover Birmingham’s famous Balti. The presenter was well known Iranian comedian Omid Djalili. I’m pleased to say that he massively (and genuinely) enjoyed his Balti Chicken and Mushroom Vindaloo. We also prepared the same dish one in genuine balti style, cooked and served up in the ‘balti’ using vegetable oil compared to one cooked in a frying pan in ghee and then transferred to a dish. There was a noticeable difference in taste with Omid much preferring the former genuine article.
Incidentally as part of the programme, Omid had been to a Grantham curryhouse the day before to sample (allegedly) the world’s hottest curry prepared using a new hot hybrid variety of peppers. He managed one spoonful and with a paramedic on hand, his heart rate immediately doubled. Incidentally, he described the next day as ‘painful’.
Shabab’s Quick And Easy Chicken Balti For One can be found on the Curry Guy (Dan Toombs) website at http://www.greatcurryrecipes.net/2014/02/17/quick-and-easy-chicken-balti-for-one/
Our bid to secure TSG protected EU status for the ‘Birmingham Balti’ partly depends on finding a ‘balti reference’ from over 30 years ago. We’ve got one for late 1984 but need a reference from before March of that year. We know it predates that but need the evidence. So, if anyone has any bright ideas …………..
On the basis that people visiting this site are curryholics, it’s also worth a visit to Dan Tombs’ excellent site at greatcurryrecipes.com.
No…this isn’t the title of a risqué film about Balti goers but just a note that Balti was featured recently in ‘Scanorama’ the in flight airline magazine for Swedish Airways written by Annette Rubery. … http://www.annetterubery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Balti-Triangle.pdf
I’m putting pen to paper to record the history of Birmingham’s most famous culinary dish and its Birmingham beginnings. I would love to hear from you about your first balti…when it was, where it was, why you enjoyed it and any funny tales also welcome! I can be e mailed on munroandy@hotmail.com Thanks, Andy.
The Balti Triangle recently hosted a visit from a budding filmmaker making a film about Balti as part of their University project. A short film Charlotte Armer made for her Filmmaking Practises Module at University of Birmingham about the balti and it’s cultural heritage in Birmingham.
An interesting stat was revealed where it seems that people outside Birmingham know more about Balti than the residents. Is it another case of a City’s own community not appreciating what they’ve got … add to that list the Jewellery Quarter, Custard Factory etc etc. Maybe something that Marketing Birmingham should consider ….
Check out the Great Curry Recipes website for … well … Great Curry Recipes http://www.greatcurryrecipes.net – also on twitter @TheCurryGuy and Facebook.
The Birmingham Balti Association’s ambitious bid to achieve the European Union’s coveted TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) status for the City’s (and arguably the Country’s) favourite dish has taken another step forward on its culinary journey. Having been steered through the UK objection period, it is now in the hands of Brussels who have six months to deliberate on the application.
Birmingham Balti Association Chairman, Andy Munro, said,’It’s been a long hard road since we first drafted the application back in 2011 but we are now very optimistic that we will achieve our goal. Once the EU Commission have deliberated, there is a final 3 months objection period for other EU country’s to object if they wish. However, I would like to think that, for example, a country like Greece wouldn’t object … unless, of course, we decided to do a Balti Meat Moussaka!’