No-flame kitchens keep restaurants running

A no oil, no boil dish
| Photo Credit:
SIVA SARAVANAN S

At Padayal, there is rice, sambar, puli kuzhambu, rasam, and kootu for lunch, all made with raw vegetables. “Our philosophy that food is medicine is now gaining popularity,” notes Sivakumar, adding that he has come up with over 2,500 recipes for raw dishes, including upma, pongal, and idli. A no oil, no boil meal may be a good option to try out at present. “It only takes a little getting used to,” says Sivakumar, adding that our tastebuds are so used to the vagaries of fried, cooked food.

At Padayal Natural Foods Processing and Training Institute in Coimbatore
| Photo Credit:
SIVA SARAVANAN S

In Chennai, the No Oil No Boil restaurant runs on the same principle. M Kannamma, who runs the restaurant in Velachery, initially started eating raw food to deal with health issues. Today, she serves full-course raw meals much like Padayal. “We don’t have stoves in our kitchen,” says Kannamma, adding that she has never depended on LPG. Knives, scrapers and cutters do the job. “People can try having raw food to not just tide over this crisis, but as a means to a healthy lifestyle,” she says.

There are several restaurants in Chennai that operate without LPG. Restauranteur Sandesh Reddy says that 80% of their restaurants do not use LPG. This includes Meating Room, Atlas House, and Elba Trading Co. Their kitchens are fully electric, also making them fuel efficient. Sandesh explains that electricity enables them to function efficiently in a small space without generating much heat. “We made the transition sometime during the COVID pandemic when it was proving difficult to procure LPG cylinders,” he says. This move has worked to their advantage in the current times.

Chennai-based Tositos’ kitchen too is completely electric. “From day one, we’ve been using sophisticated baking equipment to achieve that perfect taste and texture of meat,” says K Vigneshwar, the owner of the restaurant that is based in Velachery. Known for ‘infused roasted chicken’, Tositos serves roasted chicken in variations such as smoky tandoor, chilli harissa, and tangy herbs, among others, all of them slow-cooked in their electric oven. “This ensures that the chicken is roasted evenly and taste and flavours are consistent.” Vigneshwar says that their ovens consume less energy, making their operations sustainable.

People making their ramyun at the newly-opened restaurant Genz ramyun, a self serve Korean ramyun bar, at Beach Road in  Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

It is a busy evening at Genz Ramyun on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam. The tables are full, and a queue spills out as customers wait their turn at the electric cooktop stations — part of the restaurant’s DIY ramyun experience. At a time when LPG shortages have slowed down several kitchens, this all-electric setup has kept operations steady.

“Our kitchen runs on electric equipment, so we haven’t faced any disruption in service,” says Swetha Varma of Genz Ramyun. “While many restaurants had to scale down or pause, we’ve been able to operate normally and consistently.”

The reliability has translated into higher footfall. “Customers are choosing us because we’re dependable right now. At the same time, the growing popularity of ramyun — especially among Gen Z — has added to the demand, making this a particularly strong phase for us,” she adds.

Nearly 80% of the menu is designed for electric cooking, with only appetisers requiring alternative methods. The restaurant currently operates five cooktop stations to manage volume. “As demand increases, we plan to add more stations to reduce wait times and scale up efficiently,” Swetha says.

She also points to cost predictability as a long-term advantage. “Electric cooking gives us more stability compared to LPG, which fluctuates frequently. While electricity is a significant expense, efficiency and minimal wastage help us balance overall costs.”

A similar shift is visible at Gluttons Garage in Visakhapatnam, where the kitchen has transitioned entirely to electric operations in response to the crisis. “Today, 100% of our menu is optimised for induction and electric cooking, without any compromise on taste or consistency,” says Robert Rejoice.

The transition, he admits, came with a brief adjustment period. “The first couple of days were challenging, and we did see some delays. But the team adapted quickly. Within two days, operations stabilised, and since then, we’ve been running smoothly without any impact on food quality,” he says, crediting his team’s resilience.

Unlike some restaurants witnessing a temporary spike, Gluttons Garage has relied on its loyal customer base. “Our regulars kept coming in, and that consistency mattered more to us than a short-term surge,” he notes.

However, he points to rising costs in the long run. “We expect operating costs to go up by about 20–25% compared to LPG. While energy use may be similar, electricity tariffs increase with higher consumption slabs, pushing up per-unit costs,” he explains. The transition also required upfront investment in induction cooktops, compatible cookware, electric cookers, fryers and ovens.

Currently, the kitchen runs on three induction cooktops, a large electric cooker, two electric deep fryers and a deck oven — all powered by electricity, enabling the team to execute the full menu. “We are also looking to add a couple more electric appliances in the coming month to further streamline operations,” Robert adds.