Eateries ration LPG, trim menus

Hyderabad: As the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders continues to disrupt eateries across the city, many restaurants are reworking their kitchen operations to conserve fuel while ensuring their most popular dishes remain available.

Restaurateurs say they are experimenting with alternative cooking methods such as wood fire, electric appliances and ovens. Some have also trimmed their menus and optimised cooking processes to reduce LPG consumption.


Industry players say the shortage emerged amid disruptions in fuel supply linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, forcing restaurants to ration the cylinders. Several operators said they are prioritising only their core menu items while limiting dishes that consume more gas.

Mohammed Ali of the Shah Ghouse chain of restaurants said the group has turned to traditional methods to continue serving key dishes. "We use 300 cylinders across our outlets, but we are not getting even half of that now. We have started cooking biryani on wood fire and haleem is anyway prepared on wood fire. Only the starters are made using gas, and even that we are doing conservatively," he said.

Some restaurant chains are also exploring alternative fuel sources to keep their flagship dishes available. Abhik Mitra, managing director and CEO of Paradise Food Court, said the company is adjusting its operations to manage the shortage. "We are exploring alternative cooking mechanisms including electricity and PNG to ensure our core dishes remain available. For now, we are operating with a limited menu consisting of biryani, kebabs and haleem," he said.

Others are rethinking kitchen workflows to reduce LPG use. N Bharan Chilamakuri from Panchakattu Dosa said the restaurant has begun streamlining its cooking process.

"Earlier we used three dosa pattis, but now we are using only two. We are optimising how we cook and using wood fire for items like aloo masala and tomato chutney," he said.