hotel-holiday-home-in-shimla-back-to-chulhas

The ongoing LPG shortage has forced a return to traditional cooking methods, with even establishments like Hotel Holiday Home (HHH)—the official caterer to the Vidhan Sabha and a unit of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation—switching back to ‘chulhas’.

The transition, however, has come with its own set of challenges, as kitchen staff struggle with longer cooking times while trying to maintain the same taste and quality of food.

According to a hotel employee, cooks now begin their day as early as 7 am, preparing meals using a seven-metre-long chulha fueled by firewood, capable of cooking four dishes at a time.

 

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“Traditional methods take significantly more time. It now takes nearly three extra hours to prepare meals for 600–700 people, including those dining at the Vidhan Sabha,” said Arun Dulta, who supervises the kitchen at HHH.

One of the biggest impacts of the LPG shortage has been on the menu. Chinese dishes, which require high-flame cooking, have been removed entirely. The focus has now shifted to Indian cuisine such as ‘rajma’, ‘dal’, ‘kadhi’, mushroom preparations, ‘paneer’ dishes, vegetables, along with ‘roti’ and rice, another staff member said.

To manage the increased workload during the ongoing Budget Session of the Vidhan Sabha, the hotel has brought in around a dozen additional cooks and helpers, Dulta added.

Despite the challenges, some staff members see advantages in the traditional method. Cook Dhani Ram Sharma noted that food prepared on a chulha—locally known as ‘char’—has a richer flavour due to slow cooking.

“Unlike fast cooking on gas stoves, food made on chulhas is easier to digest and does not cause gastric problems,” he said. The kitchen has been sourcing firewood from local depots to keep operations running smoothly.

Another staff member, Beli Ram, said the team is making every effort to ensure that service quality remains unaffected despite the constraints.
So far, legislators have responded positively to the change, praising the taste and quality of wood-fired meals. “The food tastes better and feels healthier,” has been the general feedback.