Energy Crisis Forces India’s Eateries to Adapt

Small and large restaurants in India are feeling the pinch of war in the Middle East. “You go from making a decent amount of money to huge losses overnight.” Kitchens in India run on liquefied petroleum gas or LPG. About 60 percent of India’s cooking gas comes mainly from the Strait of Hormuz. But conflicts in the Middle East slowed imports and led to panic buying of gas cylinders in India. Sakshi Joshi opened a small food stall in West India two years ago, selling momos, or steamed dumplings filled with meat and vegetables. Joshi said her family was against the idea because they felt it was not a respectable job for a woman. “I loved Mexican food, I loved India.” Bert Mueller is from Maryland and became fond of India during his study abroad program. “I wanted to come back to India and spend time here, and this was the way to do it.” So in 2012, he opened California Burrito in Bangalore. Today there are more than 130 locations in India. “We have burritos, salads, rice bowls. I wouldn’t exactly call it fusion, but I try to adapt and be inspired by the way Indians cook.” But now, with little to no access to cooking gas, both businesses have scrambled to stay afloat. Joshi closed his food stall for more than a week to learn how to cook with firewood or charcoal. He also had to change his menu. Unlike Joshi, California Burrito had some gas reserves when the war began. But to keep the doors open, the company spent over $100,000 purchasing electric induction cooktops and fryers. “We acted quickly. That’s why we placed the orders before others. We received approvals for electrification. We did these in stores that needed capacity increases in terms of electrical loads.” This allowed the company to keep the menu the same. “One of the items that are cooked on electricity now is we have fajita vegetables, we have paneer, and then we have barbecue chicken grilled on top of an electric grill. The big difference that’s part of this electrification is the batch size is much smaller. That means they have to cook them much more frequently.” California Burrito plans to reintegrate some gas once it becomes more available. “Electricity is obviously not very stable. It’s not always there. So LPG was the most reliable way. I think the war was a big wake-up call for Indians about the role LPG plays in our daily lives.” Joshi said he would abandon firewood and turn to gas.