Iran’s chokehold on Hormuz threatens India’s beloved samosas and chai

By Esha Mitra and Rhea Mogul, CNN

(CNN) — Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has sparked global fears of fuel pumps running dry, but in India, it’s also leaving a bad taste in the mouth of some restaurateurs and street stall diners, with samosas off the menu and the ubiquitous chai lacking its usual aroma in parts of the country.

The world’s fastest-growing major economy imports about 85% of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Middle East, much of it used in cooking food for its 1.4 billion people.

With supplies impacted by the US-Israel war with Iran, the government has begun diverting the precious fuel away from industrial users, like canteens, hotels and restaurants, to keep flames alight on household stoves.

In a bid to keep their kitchens running, some chefs are looking for alternatives or limiting certain menu items. Some are turning to induction hobs. The problem? Traditional Indian cuisine and electromagnetic coils are not entirely compatible.

Indian cooking is an alchemy of high heat, a heavy cast iron pan, and open flames. Without the fire of a gas stove, curries lack their depth, tandoori marinades refuse to char, and the beloved samosa – a flaky pastry that relies on the intense, sustained heat of bubbling oil – turns into a pale mess.

Chetan Singh, owner of Gulabji Chai, a popular restaurant in the northwestern city of Jaipur, said the LPG shortages have forced them to remove their most “iconic items like bun butter and samosa” from the menu.

“(It is what) people queue up for here normally,” he said. “So people are disappointed because it’s one of the stops that people make while visiting Jaipur.”

They have also had to compromise on how they prepare their famous chai – a fragrant, milky black tea infused with spices.

“We are boiling chai on the induction top but it’s not the same, it doesn’t get the same flavor,” he said. “We have limited our menu, but none of it really tastes the same. Because there’s a certain heat and flavor that you can only get from a gas stove.”

In a bid to address the shortages, domestic LPG production from refineries has increased by about 38%, the Indian government said in a statement Tuesday.

Steps are also being taken to “curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG across the country,” it said, adding that more than 15,000 cylinders had been seized during raids.

But the uncertainty is disrupting the fast-paced rhythm of Indian street food and quick-service dining.

Akhil Iyer, founder of Benne Dosa, a restaurant with chains in Delhi and Mumbai, said he has had to adapt to keep his kitchen running.

“We’ve switched to induction for our idlis, and for all our fried items,” he said. “Whatever we could take off the gas, we have.”

Yet, while steaming and deep-frying can survive the transition to electric heat, the star of Iyer’s menu cannot.

“We did a trial with induction (for our dosa) and we found that the quality was not good enough,” he said. “(It) needs the flame, it needs gas, it needs fire. We cook on a cast iron top, it needs the heat to get crisp and therefore to deliver the quality that we want to serve.”

At one of Iyer’s branches in the financial hub of Mumbai, they have stopped selling their dosa because they are down to their last cylinder, he said. At their operation in Delhi, chefs continue to use gas cylinders, albeit at a “reduced capacity,” according to Iyer.

Last week, residents in several cities were seen queuing outside gas distribution centers for hours, some arriving as early as 3 a.m. to secure a cylinder for their home.

Over the weekend, two Indian-flagged vessels carrying 92,712 metric tons LPG crossed the Strait of Hormuz, which is been effectively closed since the US and Israel began their joint offensive with Iran.

Yet, as fears of a major energy crisis swirl, panic buying is setting in. Last week, Reuters reported that induction stove sales on Amazon India jumped more ⁠than 30-fold.

Iyer, from Benne Dosa, said if the impact is prolonged, his team will have to get creative.

“We’re trying to figure out whether there are other ways to heat the (cast iron pan), (including) some more traditional ways like firewood,” he said.

While it may be possible, he is wary of the impact on the environment. “We don’t want to create that pollution,” he said.

Yet, as they navigate the obstacles, there is one thing Iyer said he would never do: remove his beloved dosa from the menu for good.

“That’s why we started Benne,” he said. “To serve a good Benne dosa.”

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