Kitchens across India ditch hot food due to cooking gas shortage

CHENNAI/BENGALURU: In kitchens across India, hot food and drinks - even tea - are disappearing from the menu in place of fast food and lemon water as the Middle East conflict creates a nationwide shortage of cooking gas.

Cooks are switching to simpler meals that use less fuel to make their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stocks last longer.

The supply squeeze follows an effective halt to shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf as a result of the Iran war, raising energy and transport costs and hitting output from oil and gas producers from the Middle East.

India, the world’s second biggest LPG importer, has used emergency powers to order refiners to lift output, yet canteens and hostels say supply remains tight, forcing rapid menu changes.

Factories are trimming workers’ menu as well.

An automobile parts plant in the western state of Gujarat has cut fried items in its canteen, replaced tea with lemon water and hot soup with buttermilk or curd.

READ MORE: India tightens gas supplies over Mideast war, restaurants warn of closures

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a hostelers’ association told members to stop making tea, coffee and baking flatbreads for now.

One association said the canteen has temporarily removed a few LPG-intensive dishes and that normal menus will resume when supplies stabilise.

“Our PGs [paying guest hostels] have about 4-5 days’ worth of gas stock left and if they cook dishes that consume less energy, they may be able to extend the life of the (gas) cylinder for another two days,” said Arunkumar DT, president of the Bengaluru PG Owners Welfare Association.

Limited cooking fuel could force restaurants to cut capacity and affect orders on food delivery platforms, said Karan Taurani, an analyst with Elara Securities.

Customers may shift toward quick service chains that rely on electric ovens and fryers, Taurani said.

“We are serving only rice and lentils today,” read a note at a popular roadside eatery in New Delhi, while the Delhi High Court canteen stopped serving meals and offered only sandwiches.