A balti curry is a type of curry cooked and served in a Balti dish or bowl, a wok-like cooking pot made of thin pressed steel.

Origin of Balti curry

The word "balti" is found in Hindustani and Bengali, and means "bucket". Balti, as a food, is named after the pot in which it is cooked made of steel or iron. It is also similar to a karahi from the same region. 

The dish Balti is associated with Pakistan and Northern India, as well as Birmingham in the UK. Some say that the Birmingham Balti developed because men who came to work in the UK in the 1970s were unable to bring their wives with them. So the dish was developed to be prepared quickly after a long day's work rather than being cooked all day.

Balti houses

Balti Restaurant is often known as 'Balti House'. Balti houses were originally clustered along and back the main road between Sparkhill and Moseley, south of Birmingham city centre. Balti restaurants have spread beyond the triangle now.

Consisting of Ladypool Road, Stoney Lane and Stratford Road, the area is still sometimes called the 'Balti Triangle'. This area has a high concentration of Balti restaurants.