...

and all Indian "curry" gravy dishes.

Just learned this but butter chicken and Indian "curry" gravy dishes in general are usually cooked with LPG.

Well, if you haven't heard there is shortage of LPG in India, Thailand, and many other nations as a direct result of Iran's response to Trump's war of choice.

So Indian restaurants are now pushing tandoori dishes. Well, I want BOTH. (War is hell?)

I was often as a backpacker in the 90's in India.

Tandoori chicken was THAT one of the dishes I ate VERY often.

The reason: It was one of the few dishes where you could really bite into something. Most of the dishes where mushy (nothing to do about the taste). And the tandoori chicken with tandoori roti was as far as I remember always good - excellent.

Pakoras could have also be good, but too often the deep fried stuff was boiled in old oil - not amusing.

Fish I experienced only in south India (Kerala) directly on the beach. That too was fantastic.

Thanks for the reminder. I'm sure it's quite different now there.

This is sad news. I've never eaten butter chicken and now it's in danger of going extinct. I expect that soon the only place to encounter it will be in the Museum of Natural History.

Anyone know if there is a shortage of n-butane.

5 hours ago, blaze master said:

Anyone know if there is a shortage of n-butane.

According to GeminAi the answer is yes. Is N-Butane an ingredient in Butter Chicken recipes?

Gemini said

Yes, there is a significant global n-butane supply crunch as of late March 2026, though its severity varies depending on your region. The market is currently grappling with a "perfect storm" of geopolitical conflict and trade sanctions.

The situation is driven by three primary factors:

1. The Strait of Hormuz Crisis (Feb–March 2026)

Following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East on February 28, 2026, tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed to roughly 4% of its normal capacity.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYDwX5Ue6k-bl7C1rEsPj3Gbuc_-KF38Bq4YuWqLLIMW_1hBeOHmpxjTOZJqlgt2rkUBX8ovaJfeRYBa7jSoEW57AN1ZPUvLo1llnHLFFl

• Impact: Since the Middle East provides a massive portion of the world's LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), this has effectively stranded millions of tons of butane meant for Asian and European markets.

• Result: Countries like India, Japan, and South Korea are facing "imminent supply shortages," with India frantically seeking alternative cargoes from the U.S. and Argentina to keep its residential and industrial sectors running.

  https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcQww1Cm962SEbm729O1U6EIDiSquREBHNj-YaaMVQpm9bDt-xFrU7R1RNmLMCTBhPq2iGpbuqq_gQS6AtJ1WXo42UQ2cQLcnf482oqg

2. Tightened EU Sanctions on Russian n-Butane

On January 26, 2026, the European Union implemented a full ban on high-purity n-butane and isobutane (purity >95%) from Russia.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3_KaJXXGNIafYfN0O9YYw95xqzMO6GuzZAw6e_vb9oHXa7p3mBokGlBPtPBi9xHw2Nm0Rh1-MvK9CCwCiEdNpjsbRzw

• Impact: This closed a major loophole that had allowed Russian butane to flow into Europe throughout 2025.

• Result: Poland and other Eastern European nations, which previously relied on Russia for up to 70% of their butane imports, are now competing for limited supplies from Sweden, Norway, and the United States, driving up regional costs.

3. Record Price Premiums

The shortage has caused the price of butane to decouple from other fuels. In March 2026, butane’s premium over propane reached record highs.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcQww1Cm962SEbm729O1U6EIDiSquREBHNj-YaaMVQpm9bDt-xFrU7R1RNmLMCTBhPq2iGpbuqq_gQS6AtJ1WXo42UQ2cQLcnf482oqg

• In some markets, the premium surged by over 370% compared to last year.

  https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/favicon-tbn?q=tbn:ANd9GcQYDwX5Ue6k-bl7C1rEsPj3Gbuc_-KF38Bq4YuWqLLIMW_1hBeOHmpxjTOZJqlgt2rkUBX8ovaJfeRYBa7jSoEW57AN1ZPUvLo1llnHLFFl

• While propane remains relatively abundant (especially in the U.S. where inventories are high), n-butane is becoming increasingly scarce for its specific uses in petrochemical "cracking" and as a gasoline blending component.

I just returned from Myanmar, where the shortage of thick engine oil is having a devastating effect - street shops no longer have enough 'crude oil' to fry their food in.... they may have to resort to using plant oils....!

(Thanks ChatGPT)