Balti (food)

Abaltiorbāltī gosht(Urdu:بالٹی گوشت,Hindi:बाल्टी गोश्त) is a type ofcurryserved in a thin, pressed-steelwokcalled a "balti bowl".The name may have come from the metal dish in which the curry is cooked,rather than from any specific ingredient or cooking technique.Balticurries are cooked quickly usingvegetable oilrather thanghee, over high heat in the manner of a stir-fry, and any meat is used off the bone. This combination differs sharply from a traditional one-pot Indian curry which is simmered slowly all day.Baltisauce is based ongarlicandonions, withturmericandgaram masala, among other spices.
Balti goshtis eaten inNorth Indiaand some parts ofPakistan,as well as other parts of the world, such as Great Britain.The British version of Balti was developed inBirminghamin 1977.
Balti, as a food, is named after the steel or iron pot in which it is cooked, similar to akarahifrom the same region.
The word is found inHindustani,Odia, andBengali, and means "bucket".The word developed from the Portuguesebalde, meaning bucket or pail, and traveled to theIndian subcontinentvia the Portuguese seafaring enterprises of the early 16th century. The word likely made its way into the English language during the time ofBritish India.
According toPat Chapman, afood writer, the origins of the word can be traced to the area ofBaltistan, in the northern part of the region ofKashmir, where acast-iron wok, similar to the Chinese wok, is used for cooking. Baltistan shares a border with China. In hisCurry Club Balti Curry Cookbook,Chapman states:
However,Colleen Taylor Senstates that the origins ofbalti goshtare unclear, as the food eaten in Baltistan "bears no resemblance" tobalti gosht.As such, the name of the food may have originated from the fact thatbāltī goshtis cooked in a pot resembling abaltī, the Hindustani word for bucket.
Another claim regarding the origin ofbalticooking in Birmingham was that it was first served in 1977 in a restaurant called Adil's. At that time, the restaurant was located in Stoney Lane,Sparkbrook, and after some time relocated to another area, but since has returned to its original place in Stoney Lane.
Baltirestaurants are often known in Birmingham as 'balti houses'. Some balti houses have a plate of glass on the table top with menus secured beneath.Balti houses typically offer largekaracknaanbread pieces, to be shared by the whole table.
Balti houses were originally clustered along and behind the main road betweenSparkhillandMoseley, to the south of Birmingham city centre. This area, comprising Ladypool Road, Stoney Lane, and Stratford Road, is still sometimes referred to as theBalti Triangle, and contains a high concentration ofbaltirestaurants. On 28 July 2005, atornadocaused extensive damage to buildings in the triangle,forcing many restaurants to close. Most reopened by the beginning of 2006 but by 2023 only four remained.
Baltirestaurants have now spread beyond the triangle, and can also be found in the south of Birmingham, along the Pershore Rd inStirchley.LyenearStourbridgeto the west of Birmingham has become known as the 'Balti Mile' with up to a dozen restaurants clustered along the High Street.
The food and its style of presentation proved very popular during the 1980s, and popularity grew in the 1990s.Baltirestaurants gradually opened up throughout theWest Midlands, and then a large part ofBritain. The expanded curry market in Britain is now said to take in 4 billion pounds sterling per year.
Outside Britain, a small number of balti houses are inIrelandand many other English-speaking countries, particularlyAustralia,Canada, andNew Zealand.
Since the late 1990s, British supermarkets have stocked a growing range of prepacked balti meals, and thebaltirestaurant sector has since faced increasing competition from the retail sector and from changes in customer tastes, along with other traditional South Asian and Indian restaurants.