A report on a fabulous evening at Shababs for Andy Munro’s Book launch plus “baltiphone” music recital by Infinite Opera!

Andy’s new book features authentic recipes from local Balti houses and chronicles the dish’s journey from its 1975 Birmingham origins to today! https://thebirminghambaltibowlco.com/products/the-balti-its-boom-years-and-beyond-by-andy-munro

A journey through the spice-scented streets of the Balti Triangle with the man who put it on the map

There’s something magical about a proper Balti. Not the watery imitation you might find in a supermarket jar, but the real deal – sizzling in a flat-bottomed steel bowl, served with the kind of informality that makes you feel like family. And if you want to understand how this Pakistani-British fusion became a cultural phenomenon, you need to meet Andy Munro, the man who quite literally wrote the book on Birmingham’s Balti scene.

From Vesta Curry to Culinary Revolution

Picture Britain in the 1960s: curry was still viewed with deep suspicion by most families. “At home, they thought curry was just dodgy meat made up,” Munro recalls, painting a vivid picture of a time when anything spicier than salt was considered exotic. The height of curry sophistication was a Vesta curry packet – a far cry from the vibrant food culture we know today.

But something was brewing in Birmingham. In 1975, a restaurant called Adil’s in what would become known as the Balti Triangle invented something revolutionary: the Balti. Not just another curry, but an entirely new way of cooking and serving Pakistani cuisine that would transform British dining forever.

The Birth of a Food Obsession

Munro’s first Balti experience came in 1985 at Azim’s in Ladywood, Birmingham. The timing was almost prophetic – a week after his visit, the restaurant burned down in the riots. “I thought to myself, I was being here a week later, I might have been in the Balti,” he reflects with characteristic humor.

What followed was nothing short of a culinary revolution. Balti became a craze that swept through Birmingham and beyond. Munro and his civil service colleagues would embark on weekly Balti pilgrimages, even sporting special “Balti ties” made of 100% crimplene. These weren’t just meals; they were adventures.

More Than Just Food

What made Balti special wasn’t just the cooking method – that distinctive flat-bottomed, thin-pressed steel wok that allowed for the theatrical swirling with a long-handled spoon. It was the entire experience. Unlike the formal curry houses of the past, Balti restaurants were family-friendly, informal places where you could bring your own drinks (most being Pakistani-run establishments that didn’t serve alcohol for religious reasons).

The contrast with earlier curry culture is stark. Before Balti, curry was often a post-nightclub affair – groups of drunk revelers competing to eat the hottest dish while being, frankly, rather rude to staff. Balti changed all that, creating spaces where families could dine together in comfort.

The Balti Triangle: A Name That Stuck

In a stroke of marketing genius, Munro himself coined the term “Balti Triangle” in the late 1990s. The area had previously been known as the “Balti Belt,” which he felt sounded too much like “East Germany or Russia.” Working with local restaurant owners from the Asian Balti Restaurant Association, they rebranded the slightly triangular area as the Balti Triangle – “lost in a sea of spices, like the Bermuda Triangle.”

The name stuck, and the area became world-famous. So famous, in fact, that it ranked number 26 in a list of “40 things to do before you die,” beating even the Eiffel Tower.

A Cultural Bridge

Perhaps most importantly, the Balti Triangle became a symbol of successful multiculturalism. In a city where some areas still experience racial tensions, the Balti Triangle has always been genuinely welcoming to people of all backgrounds. “Birmingham being multicultural is a brilliant thing,” Munro emphasizes. “People are living side by side.”

The Fight for Recognition

Today, Munro is working on something that could cement Balti’s place in culinary history: securing Protected Designation of Origin status for Birmingham Balti. Currently, only Azerbaijan flatbread holds this prestigious mark in the food category, but there’s hope that Britain’s most famous curry export might join it.

A Personal Journey

With over 2,000 Baltis under his belt and remarkably never an upset stomach, Munro’s dedication to the cause is undeniable. His reviews for the Birmingham Evening Mail, rating restaurants with Balti bowls instead of stars, became so influential that his guidebook was a Christmas bestseller at Waterstones (admittedly, it was only a pound).

From writing reviews that caused meetings in local mosques (he was apparently compared to Salman Rushdie for giving a restaurant only three bowls instead of five) to demonstrating cooking at food shows (with mixed results involving wayward prawns and flames), Munro’s journey mirrors that of Balti itself – sometimes chaotic, always passionate, and ultimately transformative.

The Legacy Lives On

As celebrity chef Madhur Jaffrey once observed, “Balti is just a creation” – but then again, as Munro wisely noted, all cuisine is a creation. What you eat in a French restaurant today bears little resemblance to what was served during the French Revolution. Food evolves, cultures blend, and sometimes magic happens.

The Birmingham Balti represents more than just a cooking method; it’s a testament to how food can break down barriers, bring communities together, and create something entirely new while honoring its roots. In a world that often seems divided, there’s something beautifully hopeful about a dish that emerged from the meeting of Pakistani tradition and British innovation, served in the spirit of genuine hospitality.

So the next time you’re enjoying a sizzling Balti, remember you’re not just eating dinner – you’re participating in a cultural revolution that started in Birmingham and changed the way Britain eats forever.

Andy Munro continues to champion authentic Balti cooking and is currently working on a database of proper Balti preparation methods. His guidebooks remain essential reading for anyone serious about Birmingham’s culinary heritage.

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