Birmingham Balti

Took the Americanized nephews for a balti in the famous Birmingham Balti Triangle tonight - quite a good activity for yet another rainy, cold evening.

The origins of the balti are debated, but it's a curry served in a small two-handled wok-type pan, which you scoop out with naan bread - and which most probably originated in Birmingham in 1977, by Pakistanis from the Baltistan region, on the border with China - hence the woks.

Mine was mutton (not lamb, he said), with a garlic naan, and it was absolutely delicious. The restaurant was Saleem's - highly recommended.

(And I actually went out in the rain to buy a red balloon to use in my blip tonight, put it in my bag, and then totally forgot. I blame the distraction of Zion.)