Bengaluru's hotel kitchens turn to machines for south Indian fare
Bengaluru: From soft idlis to crispy vadas, south Indian cuisine has always hinged on precision and a practised hand. But as the appetite for south Indian fare surges and skilled cooks grow scarce, Bengaluru's hotel kitchens are quietly adapting — by bringing machines into the masala.
The city's hospitality sector is already seeing machines roll out vadas and stir up steaming pots of pongal. Yet, industry veterans say, full automation remains out of reach — especially for food steeped in regional heritage and family recipes passed down over generations.
"South Indian cooks are particularly hard to find," PC Rao, honorary president of the Bangalore Hotels Association (BHA), said recently at the launch of the Media Day Marketing trade expo where equipment firms showcased new tools for the hospitality sector.
"We have vada-making machines and pongal systems, but someone still needs to measure and feed the ingredients. It's not yet 100% mechanised," Rao said.
Demand for bulk-catering solutions is driving part of this change and BHA president Subrahmanya Holla said machines are helpful where quantity matters.
"We use pongal machines in large setups. Vada-making too is easier when it is automated. But not everything can be handed over to the machine.
In a Mysore Pak production line we visited recently, there was still the need for a human hand to pour ghee and sugar at the right moment," Holla said.
At Konark Hotel, one of Bengaluru's long-standing establishments, owner K Rama Murthy has implemented high-tech combi-ovens that use steam and dry heat to prepare dishes like bisibele bath, pongal, and pulao.
"We can even roast masalas in it. But for shallow-frying, or making sambar and masala dosa, the machine has its limits," he said.
Murthy, with over four decades in the industry, pointed to the difficulty in fully codifying south Indian culinary knowledge. "It's generational wisdom. You can't just put it in a syllabus," he said, adding that Indian food is typically made-to-order, unlike standardised continental or fast-food options.
Some kitchens are also experimenting with advanced food technology such as freeze-drying or vacuum-packing to extend shelf life and preserve nutrition, but such methods remain costly.
Impact on hospitality edu
Meanwhile, hospitality schools are recalibrating their curriculum. At IIHM Bengaluru, students are now being trained on artificial intelligence-driven systems. "AI is streamlining kitchen operations — from menu planning to stock-taking," said Sanchari Chowdhury, the institute's director.
"In fact, a Japanese restaurant here uses technology to remember diners' preferences—where they sit, what they order," Chowdhury, who believes Bengaluru's tech-savvy mindset gives it an edge, Sanchari said.
She, however, added: "We have already replaced key cards with mobile check-ins. But even as roles evolve, the warm human presence is still crucial in hospitality."
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