A recent news article in the Birmingham Mail featured Bangladeshi Shahab Uddin who owns Streetly Balti. He makes the valid point that 30% of curry restaurants will probably have to close partly because their owners lack the ability to secure government support that they are eligible to claim. I agree that cutting through the bureaucracy is difficult sometimes but I would ask what the heck the Bangladeshi Restauranteurs Association and the Asian Chamber of Commerce are doing to support their members to access funds … not a lot it seems according to Mr Uddin.

Shahab Uddin owner of Streetly Balti

Like a lot of Bangladeshi curry house owners, he couldn’t resist having an unnecessary pop at the ‘cheap and cheerful’ Balti Triangle regarding the need to raise prices but, in fairness, makes the point that many people may have become used to supermarket curries and takeaways and not bother to return to their favourite restaurant. Well, despite the name of his restaurant, he’s obviously never eaten or served up a proper balti. If he had, he would know that the Balti can’t be replicated except in a restaurant or being cooked in the balti pan at home.

I’m missing my Balti fix and, to be honest, the takeaways I’ve had just don’t compare with the real thing. So, with the possibility of restaurants reopening in July or August, I thought that I’d get a view from one of the leading Balti restaurants, Shababs.

Zaf, their owner, told me that they had ticked over with their own takeaways with a smaller team of staff but obviously this was no substitute for normal restaurant trade. Yet, he remained pleasingly optimistic and still hopes to go ahead after a short delay with some expansion plans.
In the meantime, he had applied for a couple of government support regimes which he was hopeful of securing which would be critical in providing financial stability.

Like a lot of restaurant owners, he would prefer the ‘French’ one metre distancing rule but if the UK Government stick to two metres, this will at least halve his capacity although he has got an upstairs area. In terms of safeguards, he is resigned to the likelihood of employing somebody on duty solely as a cleaner for door handles, table tops, toilets etc but other measures may depend on whether the distancing measures are still in force in the critical (for restaurants), run up to Xmas. This could then well include Perspex screens an expenditure probably demanding a more than decent investment but probably worth doing if it means the restaurant can run at full capacity pre Xmas.

Let’s hope that Shababs and others ride out the storm and balti bounces back!

Peter and Colleen Grove have been legendary amongst the curry cognoscenti for many years with their curry guides and their National Curry Week which has raised thousands for charity. Although I think that Peter may sadly be no longer with us, their legacy lives on so I enjoyed reading  their ‘Flavours of History’ book  However, without trying to sound curmudgeonly, their piece on balti started off on the wrong foot with a picture of a heavy duty cast iron karahi and not the familiar pressed steel ‘balti’. In fairness, it was still an entertaining piece expounding a couple of amusing if incorrect theories about the derivation of the word.  These were ‘balti originated from Indian soldiers who wore tin hats in the World Wars and would heat whatever food was available on the move in the cup shaped headgear.’ More Blackadder and Baldrick than Balti! Just as bizarre was the theory ‘that the word comes from the Indian for ‘hubcap’ since Indian truckers would cook their Balti in a hubcap’ … apparently Lloyd Grossman’s theory … shame on you Lloyd! Still the book was a great read with a large and very informative section on the properties of various herbs and spices. Definitely worth more than a glance …

Normality has gone out of the window for everybody and that includes baltigoers who hanker after the real deal served up sizzling at their table. However, it is still possible to get a curry fix of sorts as many restaurants are keeping open for takeaways.

So in pursuit of my chilli fix , I phoned my local curryhouse. It took me 15 minutes to get through but in fairness it was a Friday night. My options were to collect (1 hour wait) or to have delivered (2 hour wait). I opted for the former and ordered accordingly.

On turning up, there was a dining table outside on the pavement and the waiter came out masked up with rubber gloves and placed the curries and card machine in a neutral place. We then both did a dance around the table to complete the transaction. In fairness, although it was a bit like a scene from the film Ebola, I was very impressed with their precautions. Probably, a bit more impressed than I was of our curries (Rogan Josh and Dhansak) which were decent enough but certainly didn’t make the earth move in a culinary sense.

Still, as my wife is sick of me saying, ‘You can’t beat a balti!’

Top foodie writer, Tom Parker-Bowles wrote about his recent visit to Brum to sample some of its finest, in this Sunday’s Daily Mail. It was heartening to see that  a man of his many tastes could equally enjoy both the ‘humble’ Balti and also top notch dining at the Michelin acclaimed Opheems in the City’s Jewellery Quarter. 

Phrases such as ‘blistered and buttery naans … a brace of sweetly succulent sheekh kebabs … a magnificent lamb and spinach balti’ sit comfortably alongside ‘spices that flatter and cosset the crustacean (soft shell crab) coaxing out its innate sweetness … a lusciously lavish rich sauce … succulent chicken beneath a charred crust … depth and balance with a slow languorous chilli burn’. 

He finishes with the conclusion  ‘two modern bites of the sub-continent, miles apart in price and presentation but both united in their power to deliver!’ Amen to Birmingham’s excellent ‘curry’ scene!’

In my continuing search for the authentic Birmingham Balti, I found that there are at least six ‘Indian’ restaurants in Moseley and Kings Heath with Balti on the menu. However, the Poplar (in Poplar Road) is the only one I’ve found to date of those that do a proper one. Great prices, homely and unlicensed with some unique dishes including Crispy Aubergine and Gobi Pakora. My Balti Shahi Chicken (chicken chunks and mince in a spicy sauce) served up in a sizzling bowl with an unusual Garlic and Cheese Nan was excellent. With a warm welcome, this was a throwback in the nicest sense to the ‘good old days’ fondly remembered by baltiholics. Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising as I found out the owner is connected to the once much loved but now closed Kushi on the Moseley Road.

Just finished reading yet another ‘definitive’ book on curry called ‘Curry … A Global History’. In fairness the book is fairly innocuous covering all types of curry worldwide. However, the American author Coleen Taylor Sen is another curry historian who gets Balti all wrong which is summed up by the picture of shiny serving dishes. Never mind her description which starts off with the words ‘Pieces of usually precooked meat etc etc.’.  Just another example of Balti baloney!

I spent almost a fortnight in South India so how was the curry? To be frank, many were almost cloyingly sweet, if fiery, and that is probably down to an apparent increasing influence of Chinese cuisine. Yet strangely enough, despite being normally a meat eater, the highlight was a fabulous Paneer and Cashew Masala Curry, all mopped up with a fresh Mint Paratha.

Absolutely top notch although there was ”Balti” on a few menus although the quotation marks say it all! Incidentally, the best drink by far was a ‘Chikaboo’ … a smoothie made from the Chikoo fruit, Dates and Coconut from Little World, an organic café in Palomin. All in all, an interesting culinary experience with Pork Vindaloo and Shark Curry just a sample of other dishes on offer.

As a Birmingham City fan I’m not used to Brummies winning things so it was nice to see Stu Deeley take the Master Chef title and at the same time acknowledge the influence of going for a balti with his parents over the years. In doing so he accompanied one of his winning dishes with a ‘balti sauce’.

Apparently, he’s opening a restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter soon so this will be another culinary scoop for the Quarter. Maybe he’ll be the first chef to do a gourmet balti!

A recent survey conducted by Subway of all people, suggests that around a quarter of the population now prefer a curry to the traditional Christmas turkey. 

In fairness, this is reflected in Christmas Day now being a very busy time for Balti houses and curry restaurants alike although Balti Turkey with Brussel Sprouts accompanied by a Cranberry Naan has yet to catch on!