Sitaram Diwan Chand, Delhi’s iconic chhole bhature shop in Paharganj, shuts; others find ways to tackle LPG crisis

No gas, therefore no chhole bhature. The war in West Asia and the shortage of gas has put paid to a beloved Delhi indulgence.

Rajesh, a second cashier at the shop in Chuna Mandi in Paharganj, said that in his eight years in the job, he had never seen operations stop – other than under government orders during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The shutter is half-shut, and a security guard waves his hands at anyone who approaches. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

“This shop has seen it all. We saw business continue even during notebandi (demonetisation in 2016). We were completely shut for maybe a few weeks during Covid, but after that online deliveries restarted,” he says.

According to Rajesh, the shop could start serving again even now, if only the owner would agree to buy cooking gas cylinders in the black market, or use his considerable influence to make “arrangements” of some kind.

“We could get cylinders from the black market, but our owner won’t even think of doing such things,” Rajesh says. Besides, he adds, the shop churns out plates of chhole bhature almost constantly, and needs five to six cylinders every day. “Imagine buying all that gas every day in the black market!”

Subhash Sharma, who runs the hole-in-the-wall Sharmaji ke Chhole Bhature in Lajpat Nagar, is buying cylinders in the black market. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Some of Sitaram Diwan Chand’s competitors have found ways to stay afloat, though.

Subhash Sharma, who runs the hole-in-the-wall Sharmaji ke Chhole Bhature in Lajpat Nagar, is buying cylinders in the black market.

“What can I do?” he says. “I have to run the shop. I have to pay my staff. I have to run my household.” But the black market rates are appalling, and Sharma’s Rs-100 plate of chhole bhature now costs Rs 120.

“What used to cost Rs 1,000 to buy costs Rs 3,000 to 4,000… I had no option to raise my prices as well,” he says.

At the famous Jain Chawal Wale in Connaught Place, it’s business as usual.(Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

At the famous Jain Chawal Wale in Connaught Place, it’s business as usual. It’s probably because the menu is larger, and rice – eaten with rajma, chhole, kadhi, or dal – isn’t as LPG-intensive as frying bhature.

But manager Raj Kishore Pandey says it is also because the restaurant uses PNG, of which there is currently no shortage. “We got a gas pipeline soon after we reopened after the pandemic,” Pandey said. “Cylinders take space and the daily cost is higher.”

Not far from Jain Chawal Wale is Bhogal’s, a chhole bhature shop in a lane behind Scindia House off K G Marg. It looks like a makeshift shack, but it is extremely popular with people who work in the area.

Bhogal’s is ticking along – and the owner, Amit Kumar, says with a shrug that he has not faced any issues with the supply of LPG so far. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)

Bhogal’s is ticking along – and the owner, Amit Kumar, says with a shrug that he has not faced any issues with the supply of LPG so far.

Kumar’s workers are frying paneer and methi pakoras and pillowy ballooning bhaturas under a raging fire provided by a blue (commercial) gas cylinder. The spicy chhole bubbles in a large vat – almost a half-century old, says Kumar – on an angithi (clay stove).

“Earlier we used wood and charcoal for these stoves; now in the mornings, we do most of our day’s preparatory work over wood and coal fires. LPG is used to fry the bhature. The chhole and matar are also kept warm on an LPG fire. It doesn’t take much fuel to keep them running on a low flame,” Kumar says.