Highlights
- Andy Munro of the Association for the Protection of the Authentic Balti has filed paperwork seeking Unesco heritage status for the Birmingham balti.
- The Balti Triangle, which once had up to 30 restaurants, has shrunk to just two — Shababs and Shahi Nan.
- A true balti must be cooked over a hot flame in a cast-iron bowl and served in the same vessel, preserving its unique caramelised flavours.
The first balti was served at Adil's restaurant in Birmingham in 1975, originally designed to attract white British customers with its quick cooking time, meat off the bone and use of vegetable oil rather than ghee.
At its peak in the 1990s, the Balti Triangle — encompassing Ladypool Road, Stratford Road and Stoney Lane in south Birmingham — boasted up to 30 restaurants.
Today only Shababs and Shahi Nan remain within the Triangle. "Curry came over from India and Pakistan," Shababs owner Zaf Hussain told The Times . "But the balti was born in Birmingham" , he added.
What makes balti
A true balti is not a recipe but a way of cooking — prepared over a seriously hot flame in a cast-iron bowl, known as a "balti" meaning "bucket" in Hindi, and served in the same vessel to preserve its caramelised edges.
The sauce is slightly too thick for rice, making naan or chapati the traditional accompaniment. Munro has identified ten authentic balti restaurants across Birmingham and the Black Country, with perhaps ten more yet to be verified.
He inspects kitchens personally to ensure those claiming to serve baltis are doing so authentically.
The review process is expected to take around six months, with Munro optimistic about the outcome.
"My mission is to ensure that when people come to Birmingham they don't go into a restaurant and think 'What's the fuss about? That's just like every other curry I've ever had,'" he said.
The contraction of the Triangle has been driven by rising rents, pub closures, retirement of original owners and competition from new cuisines including Lebanese and North African food.
Munro hopes heritage designation will encourage younger generations to return to the balti and perhaps open new restaurants.
The total economic picture reflects wider Ramadan and cultural food trends, with British Asian cuisine remaining central to the country's culinary identity.
