.....from Baltistan to Birmingham to Wellington.....

YOUR INTRODUCTION TO BALTI CUISINE

Balti cuisine is a subset of Indian Food that has its origins in the little known region of Baltistan, in the upper regions of Pakistan and Indian Kashmir. Experts have traced its history and found the ancient silk route bought the 'Balti' utensil (bucket) from china to Baltistan, the region near Karakoram Pass. By the time it reached Punjab, the 'Balti' transformed to the more convenient 'Kadhai' as the preferred cooking utensil. The region that truly made this cuisine is Birmingham in the UK. Parts of Birmingham is famously known as "the Balti Belt" due to the large number of outlets specialising in this cuisine the style of cooking Balti and very similar to stir fry assembled and cooked quickly in a "Kadhai", a semi hemispherical pot of steel, iron or copper. Traditionally, this is used to cook and serve in as well.

Balti curries are less spicy with gentler flavours achieved by the shorter period of cooking. Balti curries are semi-dry; they do not have the commonly found liquid gravy of other in North Indian curries. Typical accompaniment to Balti curries is Naan bread or Tandoori Roti. The bread is torn up and used to scoop up the Balti dishes, much like an edible spoon. Balti is a true fusion fare, having historical originated in Baltistan and tastefully nurtured and matured in Birmingham at all is the most harmonious combination of North Indian an selected Pakistani food that is most enjoyed with a chilled glass of lager.

At The Balti House our chefs prepare unique Balti spice mixes such as pastes and sauces fresh daily, to bring you our own signature flavours. We encourage you to use your fingers and enjoy your Balti curries with a selection of our Tandoori breads, just the way it is done in Birmingham.