Veteran Chefs Take Classes on Firewood Stoves
LPG shortage pushes Hyderabad eateries back to firewood as young chefs relearn traditional cooking skills.
Hyderabad: The LPG shortage has forced several restaurants and small eateries in the city to return to firewood stoves and induction cooktops, pushing younger chefs to relearn cooking techniques many had never used before.
Hotel owners say the shift has exposed a skills gap in modern kitchens, where most cooks are trained only to work with gas burners.
Mohammed Abdul Majeed, who runs a restaurant chain in the city, said many younger staff struggled when kitchens switched to firewood. “Cooking on gas is straightforward because the flame can be controlled instantly. Firewood is completely different. You have to understand how the heat builds and spreads,” he said.
According to him, older chefs who once worked with wood-fired kitchens had to be called back to train the staff. “We brought in some senior cooks who knew the technique. They are showing the younger chefs how to manage the flame, how to place the vessels and how to keep the fire steady,” he said.
A chef working at a city hotel said controlling temperature is the hardest part. “On gas, you simply turn the knob. With firewood, you have to adjust the wood pieces, the airflow and the distance between the flame and the vessel,” Venkat S, told Deccan Chronicle.
The change has also increased cooking time. “For dishes like biryani or gravies, you must keep checking the fire. If the flame becomes too strong, the bottom burns. If it becomes weak, the cooking slows down,” he added.
Some restaurants have also installed induction stoves, but chefs say they cannot replace gas for many dishes. “Induction works for boiling or simple items, but for Chinese cooking, tandoor and Mughlai dishes the heat required is different,” Ravi Teja, a senior manager at a hotel in Secunderabad explained.
Restaurant owners say while the kitchens are slowly adapting, the situation has affected daily operations and forced them to adjust to how food is prepared.
