Pune:Ongoing restrictions on access to liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders have brought forth some changes in cooking habits of several households.From preparing large quantities of one-pot meals enough to feed a family for both lunch and dinner to looking at recipes that takes less cooking time, people are trying it all to ration use of the fuel.The Arora family, residents of Vimannagar, have decided to skip their staple breakfast of aloo parathas, replacing these with quick poha and toasted bread with butter/jam. “We hardly used to eat bread and butter, but have started to do so for breakfast now, so that LPG use can be curtailed. Making parathas is a lengthier and more fuel-intensive process,” Minal Arora, a homemaker, said.Sudhir and Pallavi Singh, both working professionals and residents of Kharadi, have started shunning their habit of cooking an elaborate lunch or dinner during weekends. “We don’t have children and our LPG use is minimal, but even so we are making efforts to cut it down further. We used to have a slow-cooked biryani or a mutton dish on weekends, but now, we are opting for something like a one-pot vegetable pulao with raita and pickles,” they said.Fatimanagar resident Ashok Jadhav said his family even studied ways to save LPG consumption on the internet. “If a curry needs to be cooked in the evening for dinner, my wife chops the vegetables in the morning and keeps them in the refrigerator, so everything is ready when the pot is on the flame. Some tips online revealed to us little tricks like putting the lid on a pan to speed up the cooking process, soaking pulses and rice before cooking to save time, using the pressure cooker more often, etc. We are experimenting with these, and also planning to buy an induction stove,” he said.A member of a large family residing on NIBM Road told TOI, “We have equipment like an induction stove and air fryer, but hardly used it before. Now, I have read the manuals carefully and started to use these for dishes, particularly the childrens’ favourites. Chicken curry has been replaced by air-fried chicken, and the induction stove is used to make dals and subzis. We are trying not to worry about the electricity bill now. The LPG cylinder has hardly been used for the last few days.”Nikesh Shaha, who lives with his family of three in Lohegaon, also said he just bought an induction stove. “But its usage leads to consumption of 6-10 units of power each day, which will take my electricity bill up by Rs2,000-3,000. We are honest taxpayers but have to deal with such problems every time,” lamented the small business owner.
