By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 04:26 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:26 EST, 15 August 2013 . It’s the dish that put Birmingham’s curries on the map. Now teenagers in the city will be taught how to cook the home-grown balti as part of a plan to tackle youth unemployment. Responding to the demands of locals business and high unemployment, the cooking lessons will form part of the Birmingham Baccalaureate, a course to run alongside GCSEs and aimed at providing skills needed to meet the needs of city employers. Key skills: Students in Birmingham will learn how to cook the city's famous balti dish from September to plug lacking local skills. Zafar Hussain, pictured, from Shabab restaurant, in the 'Balti Triangle' was filmed demonstrating how it's done to be shown during the lessons . Famous for its tomato-based dish, the . city's 'Balti Triangle' region is home to scores of curry houses and . takeaways - forming a major employment sector in the city. During research, local businesses including restauranteurs highlighted gaps in the skills of young people starting work, and a curriculum aimed at plugging those gaps has been developed. From September, 10 schools in Birmingham will be teaching teenagers not only how to cook a curry, but also skills around digital data storage, engineering, life sciences and hospitality. Teachers from the schools developed the cookery lesson with help from the Birmingham Balti Association and Zafar Hussain from Shabab curry house, which sits in the 'Balti Triangle'. Andy Munro, chairman of the association, said: 'The balti is something Birmingham is very famous for. When it came about almost 30 years ago, nobody realised this one-pot cooking method would become so iconic. 'It was the first bit of fusion . cooking over here, a new take on the traditional curry introduced by a . Pakistani restaurateur on the Ladypool Road.' The source: Ladypool Road, pictured, in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, is the source of the balti curry, developed 30 years ago by a Pakistani restaurateur as a new take on the traditional curry introduced . The Balti Triangle: Birmingham's famous home-grown curry was first developed in the Balti Triangle, where scores of curry houses today specialise in making the dish . He said the lesson will show young people how to make the city's signature dish, helping to 'continue the balti’s legacy through to the next generation'. He . added: 'It’s important that schools teach a wide range of skills and, . more specifically, skills that will guarantee youngsters jobs in their . home city.' Dr Nicki Senior, programme director . for the Birmingham Baccalaureate, said: 'We already have 10 schools on . board and many others have shown support for the award. 'Putting curry on the curriculum is . just the tip of the iceberg, we want school leavers to have a deeper . understanding of their city and what employers in the region need.' The Birmingham Baccalaureate is framed . around the young average age of people in the city: in contrast to the . national and regional picture, there are more children than pensioners . (22 per cent are children aged 0 to 15 years). As well as a higher proportion of young people, they are more likely to be unemployed than their peers in other UK cities. Ingredients for the Birmingham Balti: . The finished product . vegetable oil . 2 chopped tomatoes . 1 small finely chopped onion . 1 diced chicken breast de-boned . 1 teaspoon of garam masala . I tablespoon of ginger and garlic puree . pinch of fenugreek . pinch of paprika . pinch of turmeric . pinch of cumin . 2 small green chillies chopped . freshly chopped coriander . Birmingham MP Gisela Stuart, said: 'We are the fastest growing young city in Europe and, in contrast to the national and regional picture, have more children than pensioners. Unfortunately, we also have an unadjusted youth unemployment rate of 23 per cent - the highest in the country.' The award will be rolled out on a wider scale in 2014. The Birmingham Baccalaureate (BBacc) will be delivered by not-for-profit organisation Skills for Birmingham and the City Council. The award was developed in association with 50 local employers.
Birmingham's famous 'Balti Triangle' is the source of the fusion curry .
Employers highlighted Asian cooking as a skills gap in young people .
Birmingham Baccalaureate designed to plug gaps in young people's skills to meet the demands of local employers .
By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 04:26 EST, 15 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:26 EST, 15 August 2013 . It’s the dish that put Birmingham’s curries on the map. Now teenagers in the city will be taught how to cook the home-grown balti as part of a plan to tackle youth unemployment. Responding to the demands of locals business and high unemployment, the cooking lessons will form part of the Birmingham Baccalaureate, a course to run alongside GCSEs and aimed at providing skills needed to meet the needs of city employers. Key skills: Students in Birmingham will learn how to cook the city's famous balti dish from September to plug lacking local skills. Zafar Hussain, pictured, from Shabab restaurant, in the 'Balti Triangle' was filmed demonstrating how it's done to be shown during the lessons . Famous for its tomato-based dish, the . city's 'Balti Triangle' region is home to scores of curry houses and . takeaways - forming a major employment sector in the city. During research, local businesses including restauranteurs highlighted gaps in the skills of young people starting work, and a curriculum aimed at plugging those gaps has been developed. From September, 10 schools in Birmingham will be teaching teenagers not only how to cook a curry, but also skills around digital data storage, engineering, life sciences and hospitality. Teachers from the schools developed the cookery lesson with help from the Birmingham Balti Association and Zafar Hussain from Shabab curry house, which sits in the 'Balti Triangle'. Andy Munro, chairman of the association, said: 'The balti is something Birmingham is very famous for. When it came about almost 30 years ago, nobody realised this one-pot cooking method would become so iconic. 'It was the first bit of fusion . cooking over here, a new take on the traditional curry introduced by a . Pakistani restaurateur on the Ladypool Road.' The source: Ladypool Road, pictured, in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, is the source of the balti curry, developed 30 years ago by a Pakistani restaurateur as a new take on the traditional curry introduced . The Balti Triangle: Birmingham's famous home-grown curry was first developed in the Balti Triangle, where scores of curry houses today specialise in making the dish . He said the lesson will show young people how to make the city's signature dish, helping to 'continue the balti’s legacy through to the next generation'. He . added: 'It’s important that schools teach a wide range of skills and, . more specifically, skills that will guarantee youngsters jobs in their . home city.' Dr Nicki Senior, programme director . for the Birmingham Baccalaureate, said: 'We already have 10 schools on . board and many others have shown support for the award. 'Putting curry on the curriculum is . just the tip of the iceberg, we want school leavers to have a deeper . understanding of their city and what employers in the region need.' The Birmingham Baccalaureate is framed . around the young average age of people in the city: in contrast to the . national and regional picture, there are more children than pensioners . (22 per cent are children aged 0 to 15 years). As well as a higher proportion of young people, they are more likely to be unemployed than their peers in other UK cities. Ingredients for the Birmingham Balti: . The finished product . vegetable oil . 2 chopped tomatoes . 1 small finely chopped onion . 1 diced chicken breast de-boned . 1 teaspoon of garam masala . I tablespoon of ginger and garlic puree . pinch of fenugreek . pinch of paprika . pinch of turmeric . pinch of cumin . 2 small green chillies chopped . freshly chopped coriander . Birmingham MP Gisela Stuart, said: 'We are the fastest growing young city in Europe and, in contrast to the national and regional picture, have more children than pensioners. Unfortunately, we also have an unadjusted youth unemployment rate of 23 per cent - the highest in the country.' The award will be rolled out on a wider scale in 2014. The Birmingham Baccalaureate (BBacc) will be delivered by not-for-profit organisation Skills for Birmingham and the City Council. The award was developed in association with 50 local employers.
Responding to the demands of locals business and including restauranteurs highlighted gaps in the skills of young people starting work, and a Heath, Birmingham, is the source of the balti curry introduced . The Balti Triangle: Birmingham's famous home-grown curry was first with 50 local employers.