By Shakir Husain
HYDERABAD, April 29 (Bernama) -- Cooking gas supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia are squeezing restaurants in Hyderabad, forcing eateries in India’s “Biryani Capital” to scale back menus and prioritise their signature dish.
With commercial supplies of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) disrupted, many restaurants in the southern city have reduced gas-intensive dishes, focusing instead on biryani, which remains their biggest draw.
Varieties of the rice-and-meat dish infused with aromatic spices are widely available across the city.
A food delivery app last year recorded 17.5 million biryani orders in Hyderabad, compared with about four million for dosa and 3.4 million for idli.
As LPG supplies tightened, most restaurants adjusted quickly, curtailing gravy-based items and other dishes that require prolonged gas use.
Bernama observed that restaurant staff often present menus but immediately inform customers of limited availability, with some saying, “We only have biryani.”
Some outlets that have run out of LPG have turned to firewood or charcoal as alternatives.
Restaurant operators said commercial LPG cylinders were being sold at up to three times the official price through unauthorised suppliers, with long delays in securing new supplies.
Idli, a soft steamed rice cake, is largely unaffected by the LPG crunch, but the availability of dosa is less reliable, as the crepe-like snack is cooked on a cast-iron tawa that requires significant gas use.
India’s LPG imports have been disrupted by shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz following the US–Israeli war on Iran that began on Feb 28.
The country relies on imports for about 60 per cent of its LPG consumption, with roughly 90 per cent of shipments transiting the strait.
The government has prioritised household consumers while stepping up domestic output.
Total commercial LPG allocation has increased to about 70 per cent of the pre-crisis level, according to a Petroleum Ministry statement on Tuesday.
LPG supplies continue to be affected by the geopolitical situation, it said.
While this affects hotels and restaurants across India, the problem is more acute in Hyderabad because this city eats better than most other major cities.
The kind of "family packs" and takeaway options offered at restaurants in this city would be unfamiliar to most people in other places in India.
Hyderabadis have a great appetite for eating out, and they cannot stomach being denied their regular food choices.
-- BERNAMA
