Apart from Highgate Brewery’s respectful nod to Birmingham’s famous dish, there is one slightly less well known drink also celebrating the Balti .

In the nineties, a drink called the ‘Balti Bite’ was all the rage which was a potent mix of 7.5 per cent Barley Wine and Cider … seemed like the ideal foil for a Balti Chicken Vindaloo!

Some tactless comments from MP Paul Scully about Sparkhill, part of the Balti Triangle hit the headlines when he suggested the area was a ‘no go’ zone.

This area  is one I know well as not only was I born and bred in the area but one I have visited for over forty years to enjoy Birmingham’s iconic dish.

Never in that time have I felt threatened or had my car vandalised and Scully does this area no favours with his tactless and racist comments. I particularly say racist as he could equally pick on areas with minimal Muslim populations where as often happens a minority of young people have a phase of doing a few stupid things often due to lack of parental control and guidance … something which is rarer in a community of practising Muslims bound by the code of religious ethics. 

Luckily Mr. Scully has been called out for his ill-timed comments which could well have had a negative effect on businesses in the area.

Interesting to see a book entitled from ‘Bombay to Britain‘ brought out to celebrate National Curry Week. However, it was noticeable that in featuring ‘flagship’ restaurants, apart from City centre based Pushkar, no sign of any other Brum restaurant from Opheems and Lasan to Shababs. 

Yet again a Brum deal for Brum although as Millwall’s notorious fans used to sing ‘Nobody likes us but we don’t care!’

I met a couple of friends in the Balti Triangle (one of whom uses to own a proper Baltihouse called Al Frash) and we visited one of the many new eateries to chew the fat.

In fairness, I won’t reveal its name but we ordered a large Mixed Grill Tawa and a ‘Balti’ Chicken. The good news is that the Tawa was a decent affair but that was more than could be said for the ‘Balti’. Lumps of chicken thighs (some a bit gristly) served up in a one dimensional sauce in a shiny karahi bowl with not a trace of caramelisation at the edges.

In authenticity terms this amounts to a treasonable offence but, am I surprised ‘no’ and was I disappointed ‘yes’!

Unfortunately the lonely girl waiting on front of house was young enough to be my granddaughter so I resisted the temptation to reeducate her in a culinary sense.

Not the best advert for the Balti Triangle!

Approaches have now been made to the City Council to agree to authenticate restaurants that serve the authentic Birmingham Balti. 

Although given their financial position. they will be naturally needing more than a few pieces of silver to check out what are probably no more than around twenty restaurants  who serve the pukka version.

Overall funding of around £8O00 is likely to be needed to develop and fully implement the scheme so the next hurdle will be to identify and source some funding likely to be lottery or something similar.

Although not a particular fan of the burger (I prefer a sheekh to a shami kebab!) I happened to watch a repeat of a documentary narrated by Jo Brand about the ‘Secret’World  of Burgers. In talking about food trends they covered the Balti and blow me, they showed me tucking into a Balti … many years ago when there wasn’t a grey hair in sight. If only the years could be rolled back!

Notable Brummie Royalty and Historian Dr Carl Chinn dined out at Shababs with a large group of friends and relations who had come over from  Ireland and had enjoyed Carl’s peaky blinders tour to both work up an appetite and to learn about the history of Birmingham’s iconic dish.

Only a couple of the party had had a proper Balti before but they did it full justice with empty baltibowls buffed to a shine with a naan.

 Irish eyes( and palates) were definitely smiling!

It’s National Curry Week and no doubt there will be the usual parade of either high end nouveau cuisine ‘Indian’ restaurants and a smattering of stock Bangladeshi curry houses (yawn yawn).

So why not celebrate the week by having a proper authentic Balti in either the Popular, Shababs,  or Shahi Nan Kebab House in Birmingham’s Balti Triangle or the Khyber or Royal Watan slightly further afield. Conversely if you live outside Brum try your local and if you think it’s a proper one cooked and served in the same balti pan then post on this site!

‘Restaurants such as Shababs, Shahi Nan and Royal Watan rightly get the plaudits in the Balti Triangle but the lesser known Popular on the Ladypool Road deserves recognition as well.

The opening gambit of crispy poppadoms was accompanied by a dip tray (at no extra cost) of which the thick creamy yoghourt dip was the star of the show.

Starters were undoubtedly the freshest and tastiest chicken pakora that I’ve had in many a long year as was the duo of meat samosas.

My balti chicken and mushroom was excellently spiced and my wife’s balti butter chicken was not only top notch but  nicely spiced whilst retaining a buttery consistency without slipping into the sickly double cream soup-like consistency that can befall this type of dish.

A doughy garlic naan passed muster as did the Popular brand of after dinner mints given away old skool style.

We will return!