Mumbai’s street food crisis: City's beloved samosa and vada pav disappear from menus as LPG supply tightens

MUMBAI: The city's street foodscape has become a shadow of its usual self owing to the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders. Vada pav has come under threat. Daily staples such as samosa and bhajiya, which satiate the hunger of rickshaw and taxi drivers, labourers, and ordinary working class Mumbaikars, too, are disappearing from street corners and restaurants.

Roadside stall owners are buying domestic cylinders in the black market for Rs 1,300-1,800 but hiding them under gunny bags to avoid discovery.




The crowd favourite vada pav of Ladu Samrat in Lalbaug is facing a daily fluctuation in fortune, depending upon the availability of the coveted blue commercial cylinder. Owner Kamlakar Rakshe said, "Yesterday our outlet was closed. Today we got four cylinders, so we are open. I cannot say about tomorrow."



On Thursday, Gulati's in Juhu was not taking orders for its popular samosa for the following day. Owner Vicky Gulati said, "We require three or four cylinders every day but have not got a single one. Today samosa and a few items are available but we have stopped taking orders. My main concern is how to feed my 100 workers. Everything is inhouse. If the scarcity continues, they may leave and it will be difficult to bring them back three or four months later."

Samrat in Vile Parle, whose giant-sized vada pav is a crowd puller, has trimmed its menu, and fears the repercussions of prolonged war. Spokesperson Hasmukh Kumar said, "We are currently managing operations on electrical equipment and diesel. Par gas ka kaam toh gas hi karegi (but only gas can accomplish certain tasks). For instance, induction operates at high speed but in a gas stove we can manually regulate the flame as per our need. If LPG shortage lasts beyond a week or two, we could face trouble."

Dosa and tawa items were the first to fall off the menu as the cooking gas crisis unravelled on Tuesday. These recipes require full flame at all times.

Other popular streetside foods like momos, even sandwich, dabeli and chaat items that use boiled potato and beet, are unlikely to continue if LPG supply is not restored.

The operations of big like Aram in Fort and Jumbo King citywide are not affected since both function on electrical equipment including induction. "We have been using electrical equipment since we launched our outlet eight or nine years ago," said Rajesh Yadav, a Jumbo King franchisee from Malad. The brand's franchise manager Siddharth Aade said, "We manage well using induction stoves. Ours are frozen vadas which just need to be fried and served."