LPG Gas Cylinder Shortage: 5 daily dishes to make in a pressure cooker and simple hacks to make LPG cylinders last longer

When it comes to household or commercial kitchens, LPG is the lifeline of any unit. The ongoing war in West Asia involving Iran, Israel and the United States is now beginning to affect Indian kitchens and restaurants, as supply disruptions linked to the conflict hit cities and the hospitality sector. According to PTI, IRCTC has asked operators of food plazas, refreshment rooms and 'Jan Ahaars' to switch to alternative arrangements to maintain seamless catering services for travelling passengers. They have been asked to switch to microwave and induction Cooking. The shortage is being reported in cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, with restaurant associations saying supplies have become irregular over the past few days. In such a crisis, it is important to keep alternatives handy and use LPG sensibly. Here we have listed five daily dishes that can be cooked in a pressure cooker and simple hacks to make LPG cylinders last longer in the kitchen.

It is one of the most common dishes cooked in Indian households, and a pressure cooker makes the process quick and energy-efficient. Lentils like toor dal, moong dal, or masoor dal cook perfectly in just a few whistles.

How it saves gas: Cooking dal in a pressure cooker drastically reduces cooking time compared to boiling it in an open pot.

Instead of cooking rice in an open vessel, use a cooker. If you are cooking 1 cup of rice, add 1.5 cups of water and pressure cook on a low-medium flame; your rice will be ready in 7–9 minutes after 2 whistles. To reduce the cooking time further, soak rice for 30 minutes before cooking.

How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking.

Rajma requires a longer cooking time, but a pressure cooker makes it much easier. Soaked kidney beans cook faster under pressure and become soft enough for a rich curry. Soaked rajma, pressure cooked at medium flame can be ready in 9-12 minutes after 3-4 whistles.

How it saves gas: Instead of simmering for an hour on an open flame, rajma cooks in a fraction of the time in a pressure cooker.

Kathal as an ingredient takes time to cook. If you saute the dices with spices and pressure cook it with curry, your dish will be ready in a maximum of 10–15 minutes, whereas open flame cooking might take 30-35 minutes.

How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking. It also makes kathal softer and more tender.

While this dish can be made in a kadhai, cooking it in a cooker saves time by 50 percent and your dish is ready in 10-12 minutes.

How it saves gas: The dish is ready in half the time it would take with open-flame cooking.

Every time you cook, make sure the flame is not licking the sides of the vessel. This means the flame is too high, and such flames are of no use. It's a sheer waste and should be confined to the bottom of the pan/wok only.

A blue flame colour is ideal. If you see red, orange or yellow, it's a sign that your burner needs cleaning. It is suggested to clean the burner once in a month. To do this, you may use lukewarm water and baking soda for effective results.

Cooking without a lid increases the cooking time and thus utilizes more and more LPG. By covering the lid, you trap the heat, build steam and reduce the cooking time. This also helps maintain the moisture of the dish.

Many times, people don’t measure the amount of water or liquid to be added relative to the solid ingredients and end up cooking for a longer period to evaporate the excess liquid, which takes a toll on LPG consumption.

Every time you place a utensil on the burner, make sure the bottom is clean. This makes the cooking process easier and consumes less LPG.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, use a pressure cooker for most of your cooking, as it takes less time, consumes less LPG and keeps the nutrients intact.