Mumbai’s iconic smoky tandoori flavours may soon face an existential crisis. The city’s restaurants scramble to comply with an impending ban on charcoal and wood-fired ovens. The move is aimed at tackling Mumbai’s worsening air quality. But restaurateurs argue that without traditional tandoors, kebabs might lose their smoky depth and naans may not puff up quite the same way. The High Court has instructed that all establishments must shift to cleaner alternatives by July 8, or risk having their trade licenses marked Not to Renew (NTR) in the civic system until they discontinue the use of wood, coal, or any other conventional fuel. The industry, however, is struggling to make the switch. Around 15% of over 15,000 restaurants in Mumbai have switched over to PNG versions of t andoor but since they are not readily available, the whole replacement exercise will take a longer time. Some restaurants are already experimenting with substitutes, early results have been mixed.
