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The
Birmingham Balti
The balti is more than just a curry. Invented in the mid-1970s by a Pakistani Brummie restaurateur, it’s inextricably linked to Birmingham and is a part of its rich heritage.
Balti restaurants like Shababs were small back then – we had just 21 covers – so people needed to be served quickly and the table turned ready for more guests to maximise gain.
The balti was commissioned to be manufactured in Birmingham. Thin-pressed carbon steel made it possible for the balti to reach super-hot temperatures in record time. Once ready, the sizzling balti would be ushered straight to the diners’ table in the very same balti bowl that it was cooked in ready to eat with rice and naan bread.
It was revolutionary – and so popular that Indian restaurants across the country wanted to get on to the balti bandwagon and started to introduce balti on their menus.
Whilst you can dish up curries anywhere you like, there’s only one place you can get a true Birmingham balti – right here in Birmingham.
The Secret
is in the Bowl
A balti bowl might look like other dishes – but it’s unique, designed specifically to cook and serve the best baltis.
The bowl is made of thin pressed carbon steel so it heats up quickly and the bottom and handles are flat for stability on the stove. All of this allows it to be cooked quickly, packing in flavour and giving the balti its unique flavour.
That same bowl is used to serve the balti to the customer. Used time and time again, the bowl builds up layers of flavour, adding to the depth of flavour that everyone knows and loves.
The balti bowl is the secret to a brilliant balti – which is why we still get ours from the place they were originally made. Right here in Birmingham. The workshop of the world.
When the bowls were first created, our city – the City of a Thousand Trades – was famed for its steel industry. Things have changed a bit since then, but Birmingham is still the true home of the balti bowl, and we won’t get ours from anywhere else. We’ve had some of our bowls for years – one for as long as 18 – which is testament to how well they’re made.
You can buy your very own balti bowl from Shababs, as well as our bespoke spice tins. Just ask when you visit or contact us and you can have your own bit of Birmingham balti at home.
The
Shababs Secret
A balti is no ordinary curry. The way it’s cooked is unique and the reason why this dish has become world-renowned.
An authentic balti is cooked using vegetable oil – not ghee – along with fresh spices added during the cooking process, which takes just ten minutes over a roaring hot flame.
At Shababs we still cook baltis the way our family did when they first opened 40 years ago.
Not just because it’s the way we’ve always done it. But because it tastes better, and has more health benefits than other curries.
Don’t just believe us – believe the University of Birmingham whose research suggested the use of oil and high heat leads to less saturated fat, higher iron content, and a smoky caramelisation that so many chefs strive for, but is found naturally in a balti thanks to the way it’s cooked.
Balti is a dish for everyone. Cooked individually to order, we can tailor your balti to exactly what you want, whether it’s chicken, lamb or veg you prefer, and whatever level of spice you like. It’s a dish for everyone – and something you can’t get anywhere else.
