HYDERABAD: With
onion prices skyrocketing, Hyderabadis are practically being deprived of their favourite
onion
samosas as several restaurants and bakeries have stopped selling them. At some places, it has been unavailable for nearly a week now. Onion, depending on the quality, is being sold in the city from Rs 60 to Rs 160.
Prices of grade 1 onions in Malakpet onion market shot up to Rs 150-170 per kg, while grade 2 onions remained at Rs 90 to Rs 130 per kg. According to officials, the supply of onions has plummeted from 7,000 quintals during first week of November to barely 1,200 quintals in December, resulting in sudden rise in price of the staple vegetable.
At
Secunderabad
’s ‘Rio’ which is popular for its onion samosas, the heavy rush at the outlet at Patny cross-roads is as usual. But there is disappointment in store. A family which bought their favourite onion samosas, found that it had only potatoes. “We did not realise it until we started having them,” B Krishna Mohan, who came with his wife and children, said. Rio, it seems, now has onion samosa only on its board as ‘Rs 5’.
At Garden Restaurant at Clock Tower, samosas are available — but not with onion. “We have replaced onions with some vegetable mix for now. Once the price settles down, we will bring back the onion in samosa,” said Imran, at the counter.
At the eatery ‘Chai N Samosa’ in SR Nagar, onion samosas are nowhere in the menu. Usually, two samosas are sold at Rs 15 here.
“With onion prices increasing, we will have to price them at Rs 30. But that would not be a good business move. When the prices of onions settle down, we will make them available at Rs 15 for two again,” Vijay Sai of the outlet said. “We have been getting a number of emails and complaints from customers through food apps asking us why onion samosas are not available,” he said.
But some are still willing to sell it at the old rates. At ‘Mountain Bakery’, Jubilee Hills, the onion samosa which is priced at Rs 10 continues to be sold at the same rate. “Just because onion prices are high now we cannot change the price. It is a passing phase,” a man at the bakery said.
While others have taken the middle path — a little corn and some onions thrown in to keep the customers smiling.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Sushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyde...
Read MoreSushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyderabad. He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad from where he did his post-graduation from. He has been with The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition since its launch in 2000. He has also done an introductory course in film studies from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and also from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. He has authored four books. In his career spanning 34 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting. He was also a web journalist during internet’s infancy in the mid 1990s in India. He covers defence, politics, diaspora, innovation, administration, the film industry, Hyderabad city and Telangana state, and human interest stories. He is also a podcaster, blogger, does video reporting and makes documentaries.
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