Balti provincial anyone?

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A recent email was received from Susan Meacham who runs ‘Taste of the Raj’ in the south west of France. She was trained by a Gujerat chef many years ago and has run takeaway and delivery services for over fifteen years. She asked if we could authenticate the Balti dishes on her menu. So we sent her a Balti ‘audit’ form and her method of cooking a balti qualifies it as a ‘proper’ B’ham Balti apart from serving it up in the balti itself …. which is not surprising as it is a takeaway and delivery service!

We wish the best of luck to Susan for spreading the word so next time you are in France and have had too many snails ….. Her website incidentally is www.indian-cuisine.fr.

Latest version of the Curry Bible

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The latest edition of the renowned Cobra Curry Guide is now out featuring over 1500 of the circa 9,000 ‘curry’ restaurants in the UK. Based on reader recommendations, it includes a West Midland section that has several pages on the Balti Triangle. Restaurants featured are Adil, Al Frash, Al Faisal, Grameen Kadah, Imran, Kababish, Popular, Shabab, Shahi Nan Kebab House, and Shereen Kadar. Congratulations, by the way, to Jewellery Quarter Restaurant ‘Itihauss’ which is one of only nine restaurants over the last 25 years to secure the coveted ‘Best in UK ‘ Hall of Fame category.’

A Balti too far???

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A recent article on obesity unfairly targetted the Balti Triangle and attracted the following response in the Birmingham Evening Mail ….

To: letters@birminghammail.net

Subject: TAKEAWAYS

Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 22:55:47 +0000

Dear Editor,
It was interesting to read about the outcry blaming obesity problems in schoolchildren on the proximity of fast food takeaways. However in my view there is an element of statistical manipulation when one of the schools happens to be in the Balti Triangle. Some responsibility must lie at the door of parents allowing their children to indulge as the question needs to be asked where do they get their pocket money from!
However I also think that the Planners  need to change tack. They seem to think that because the Balti Triangle is famous for its food then new planning permissions for more hot food outlets should be encouraged or, at least, allowed. Unfortunately their strategy completely misses the point.  The Balti Triangle is famous for its restaurants, whether balti or other cuisine, and certainly doesn’t want the area to be seen as the culinary capital of southern fried chicken and kebabs. Ask the vast majority of restaurant and shop owners in the area and they will say that the situation has reached absolute saturation point. Time for a rethink?

ANDY MUNRO
ADVISOR TO THE BIRMINGHAM BALTI ASSOCIATION

Curry capital fiasco

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Birmingham finished a lamentable 6th in the latest competition which, given the half baked approach of the relevant agencies, wasn’t really a surprise. Not that ‘trendy’ restaurant Lasan could care as they patronisingly poured scorn on the many restaurants who serve up traditional ‘curries’ for their customers’ enjoyment.

Surely,as a supposedly multi cultural City, we should have a proper ‘go’ at  entering next year’s competition, and I have suggested that the City Council, Marketing Birmingham and the Evening Mail sit down at least three months before the 2013 Competition, with the various Associations, to put in some real time and hopefully some modest resources in preparing properly…

Balti hit and run

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Top balti restaurant Shabab, on the Ladypool Road, has had to close for a few weeks following an incident when a drink driver crashed into their premises in a late night incident. Luckily nobody was hurt in the incident and the Police apprehended the driver.

STOP PRESS;THE RESTAURANT IS DUE TO REOPEN FOR BUSINESS ON THURSDAY  8TH NOVEMBER

Jamie Oliver magazine and curry culture

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It was pleasing to see the role of the Birmingham Balti recognised in the magazine’s main theme this month of ‘Curry Culture‘. It also lists under ‘Best Bites’, their take on the best 30 ‘curry’ restaurants. Eleven are predictably from London with the next in line being Leicester and Brum. Of our three, it’s good to see Shabab in the frame and ex Balti Triangle veggie specialists Jyoti.

Making up the trio predictably is Lasan. it’s just a shame that their chef Aktar still had to ‘slag off’ balti. He needs to concentrate on his own pretentious food. When I debated curry with him on the radio, he didn’t even know what a balti was and, even worse, for this ‘fount’ of ‘Indian’ culinary knowledge, didn’t even know what a popular Indian fruit was when I asked him!!

I rest my case.

The Birmingham Balti goes international

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Birmingham’s famous Balti is now the subject of an application for European ‘protected’ food name status with an application lodged for it to be registered as a TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed). In doing so, it is the first ‘ethnic’ food in the UK to be the subject of a proposed TSG and, if successful, it will join the ranks of British stalwarts such as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies, Stilton Cheese and Arbroath Smokies.

Andy Munro, Hon Secretary of the Birmingham Balti Association said:
As a proud Brummie, I wanted to see the genuine Birmingham Balti protected as this is the City where the phenomenon started. Unfortunately the term ‘Balti’ has almost become a generic term for curry and I want to ensure that the original fast cooked dish is properly protected from being diluted in its use.
It has taken over a year’s hard work to get to formal submission even with great support from Adas UK and Matt O’Callaghan who masterminded the successful application for the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie.
Birmingham now has some fabulous restaurants yet it is still the Birmingham Balti that is the initial culinary hook, as a recent article in the New York Times illustrates.
EDITORS NOTE:
The founder participating restaurants from Birmingham’s Balti Triangle are….
There is a staged process to achieving this coveted protected status.The initial UK consultation period ends on 7th September and,if there are no objections,or objections are not felt to be legitimate, it is then referred to the EU commissioners for their consideration.Once they are satisfied with the proposal,it is published in a European Journal for a 6 month consultation with other EU countries.If there are no objections or objections received are not felt to be legitimate then the status is confirmed.Overall timescale from application to approval is typically 12 months.
 For further information contact Andy Munro on 07985-169462 or munroandy at hotmail.com