India, March 12 -- Restaurants and caterers in Mumbai have begun to trim their menus and make other adjustments while grappling with a cooking gas shortage triggered by the war in West Asia.

At New Heroes Restaurant near Grant Road station, Harish Balwa, the owner, said, "We usually prepare around 1,100 servings daily; now we are serving only a limited number of dishes, especially those cooked on coal stoves."

A shortage of LPG has increased the demand for coal, whose price too has risen. Depending on its quality, coal was available for Rs.32-35 per kg until early this week. On Wednesday, it cost Rs.40 per kg.

Shops selling traditional 'sigdis' or coal stoves are doing brisk business. Sales have seen an uptick, ironically, at a time wh...