Last week, I discovered a new curry house in the Ottawa suburbs where the food is extraordinary with its unique blend of spices, and its offerings of Indo-Chinese cuisine. My experience at Rang De Indian on Terry Fox Dr reminded me so much of another curry-based phenomenon from my past.

Balti curries, a beloved British dish, trace their origins to Birmingham in the 1970s. Though the word balti comes from the Urdu word for “bucket” or “pot,” referring to the round, flat-bottomed steel dish in which the curry is traditionally cooked and served, it wasn’t directly imported from the Indian subcontinent. Instead, balti was born out of culinary innovation by Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants who combined their traditional cooking methods with British ingredients and tastes.

As an undergrad Earth Sciences student in Birmingham during the 1980s, going for “a balti” on a Saturday night after few beers might just have been the highlight of the month. The hallmark of a balti curry is its quick cooking time over high heat, often with marinated meats, vegetables, and a spice mix of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and ginger. Everything is prepared in the same dish, intensifying the flavors. What sets it apart even more is the way it’s eaten; served with naan rather than rice, making the experience more communal and tactile, as diners scoop up the rich sauce directly from the cooking pot with the bread.

During my time at Aston, Birmingham’s Balti Triangle was the epicenter of this culinary explosion. Famous restaurants like Adil’s, often credited as the first Balti house, Shababs, and Imran’s became go-to spots for anyone seeking this aromatic, flavorful dish. These restaurants were pioneers, turning balti into a British institution. The unpretentious, communal style of eating and the vibrant, spice-laden dishes quickly captured the hearts of locals and students alike.

While balti curries have spread far beyond the West Midlands, I have fond memories of a uniquely British take on curry, which continues to thrive in UK food culture. With this latest discovery, I now have yet another opportunity to explore the sub-continent cuisine, right here in Ottawa.