Restaurant in Odisha Cooks Biryani Using Solar Power Amid LPG Price Hikes
An Odisha restaurant uses innovative solar cooking to prepare biryani after commercial LPG prices rose sharply across India, offering a sustainable solution, read on.
Ekta Mathew 
BHUBANESWAR, June 12, 2026 — An inventive restaurant in Odisha is using solar-powered cooking systems to prepare biryani after commercial LPG prices rose steeply for food businesses across India. The eatery’s new setup allows staff to cook even after sunset, a move that offsets rising fuel costs and reduces dependency on traditional gas cylinders, restaurant officials said.
India’s commercial LPG rates have climbed significantly in recent months, pushing the cost of a 19-kg cylinder above ₹3,000 in major cities and squeezing operational expenses for restaurants and catering services. In contrast, solar cookers installed at the Odisha eatery capture and store sunlight, enabling uninterrupted cooking during cloudy weather and after dusk, supporters of the technology explained.
How Solar Cooking Works for Biryani
The solar system uses high-capacity thermal storage that captures heat from sunlight during the day and retains it in insulated containers. Chefs heat spices, rice and meat in the stored energy chamber, allowing complex dishes such as biryani to cook without conventional fuel. “The system uses concentrated solar energy and makes heat available even after the sun sets,” said an engineer involved in the installation, describing how the setup mimics heat retention in traditional ovens.
Why This Solution Matters Now
Restaurants normally consume significant amounts of commercial LPG, which has limited government subsidy and fluctuates with international market prices. The recent hikes part of ongoing global energy cost shifts have triggered operational cost increases for many food service businesses. Switching to solar cooking not only cuts fuel bills but also aligns with broader sustainability efforts.
Industry analysts say such adaptations could become more common as establishments seek resilient fuel alternatives and work toward energy cost management. Local energy experts added that expanding similar solar technologies may reduce dependency on fossil-fuel-based cooking in commercial kitchens across regions with high sunlight availability.
More information about Indian cuisine and its regional diversity can be explored through Indian cuisine history and traditions.
Businesses monitoring hospitality expansion trends can also explore restaurant industry growth trends for 2026 to understand how regional food concepts are shaping dining markets.
