Soho Road in Handsworth is where the Indian sweet centres dominate – serving distinctly different snacks and sweetmeats to their Pakistani counterparts in Stratford Road.
Sangam’s is an excellent example of the former: family-run and known locally as an institution. That means it can get ‘a bit busy’ – you’ll often struggle to get a seat, particularly around festivals such as Diwali.
The vegetarian menu majors in the kind of fried snacks that sell for shrapnel and taste amazing, but are, sadly, rather bad for you. You’ll find solid chilli paneer here – that Indo-Chinese fusion favourite that combines chunks of fried cheese with a sweet and spicy sauce. For a satisfying, hearty snack, try a mooli paratha – a griddled flatbread stuffed with grated radish.
The array of mithai is mesmerising and, unless you have a working knowledge of Indian sweets, quite confounding. Think of it as a pick ’n’ mix and take potluck, noting that the milk-based sweets are especially good.
Sangam is somewhere to squat ’n’ gobble – if a cheap feed eaten in a relaxed, rambunctious environment holds appeal for you, it’s a top spot. The second branch, Sangam 2, keeps it in the family; opened by the sons of the original venue’s owners.