With LPG cylinder prices rising across India, many households are noticing that their cooking gas seems to finish much faster than before. While regular cooking habits play a role, the type of food you
cook can also significantly affect gas consumption.
Certain Indian dishes require long cooking times, multiple preparation stages or continuous simmering, which means the stove stays on for longer. This naturally leads to higher LPG usage.
Here are five popular Indian foods that tend to consume the most LPG while cooking.
1. Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry)
Rajma is a staple comfort food in many North Indian households, but it also requires a significant amount of cooking gas.
Kidney beans are quite hard and need long cooking times to soften properly. Even after soaking overnight, rajma typically requires several whistles in a pressure cooker. Many recipes also involve simmering the gravy for additional time to achieve the desired thickness and flavour.
2. Chole (Chickpea Curry)
Chole, another popular dish, also requires extended cooking.
Chickpeas take a long time to cook unless soaked thoroughly beforehand. In addition to pressure cooking, the curry base is often slow-cooked with spices to develop a rich flavour, which keeps the stove running for longer periods.
3. Dal Makhani
Dal makhani is known for its creamy texture and slow-cooked flavour.
Traditional recipes involve cooking whole black lentils and kidney beans for an extended period. Even after pressure cooking, the dal is typically simmered on low heat for a long time so the flavours blend well. This prolonged cooking time can significantly increase LPG usage.
4. Biryani
Biryani preparation involves several cooking steps, making it another dish that consumes more gas.
First, the rice is partially cooked. Then the meat or vegetables are prepared separately. Finally, everything is layered and cooked together using the dum method, where the dish is sealed and cooked slowly over low heat. This multi-step process increases overall gas consumption.
5. Jalebi and Deep-Fried Sweets
Deep-fried desserts like jalebi also require a considerable amount of LPG.
Oil needs to remain heated for a long period during frying. Preparing sugar syrup and frying multiple batches of sweets can keep the gas stove running continuously, which increases fuel consumption.
Why Some Foods Consume More LPG
Certain dishes naturally require more cooking gas because they involve:
Hard ingredients such as beans and chickpeas
Long simmering times
Multi-step cooking processes
Continuous deep frying
These factors keep the burner on for extended periods.
How to Reduce LPG Usage While Cooking
You can still cook these dishes while reducing gas consumption by following a few simple practices:
Soak beans and lentils overnight to reduce cooking time
Use pressure cookers instead of open cooking
Always cook with lids to trap heat
Prepare ingredients before turning on the stove
Use induction or electric appliances for long simmering dishes
With LPG prices continuing to rise, small changes in cooking habits can help households make their gas cylinders last longer.
