Coal fired kitchens return to Mohammed Ali Road amid LPG crisis

Malpuas being prepared on a diesel-based burner at Shalimar restaurant on Mohammed Ali Road. PIC/Sarthak Mehta

Multiple eateries along the landmark Mohammed Ali Road have switched to coal and diesel as cooking fuels, as iftaar demand remains high while commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is unavailable. According to owners, a few sweets, such as malpua, are heat-intensive, making their production tough to sustain, whereas tandoori items, including breads, tikkas, and kebabs, are already cooked over coal, so there is no significant shift there.

Rolls are made on a coal-based sigdi at Shabbir's Tawakkal Sweets on Mohammed Ali Road. Pics/Sarthak Mehta

Restaurant voices

Moayyad Shabbir Mithaiwala, owner, Shabbir's Tawakkal Sweets
‘We had to switch to coal around four days ago for all our dishes due to zero supply of commercial LPG. I tried to contain the cost, but I had to increase it today for some limited fuel-heavy sweet dishes by five to 10 per cent. I tried induction cookers, but they did not deliver the kind of volume I require, and now they are out of stock. Even our coal supply is uncertain, and we will have to shut the shop if there is a coal scarcity'

Amanullah Shaikh, manager, Shalimar restaurant
‘Like others, we have also started using coal and old diesel burners. We haven't increased our prices yet'

Alamdar, Makkah Hotel
‘We are an affordable food joint. We have shifted to coal for the past six days, but need to buy more sagdis. The cost, however, has increased to Rs 7000 a unit now, and we can't pass these expenses to our customers'

Cost of shifting to coal

Current coal price
Rs 40 to Rs 70 per kg.

Coal-based burners
At least Rs 7000 per piece

Downside of coal

>> Cooking time is twice as long as LPG
>> Three to five times less heat efficiency than LPG
>> Emits significantly higher PM2.5 matter