Parantha,tandoori roti no more tasty, thanks to wheat flour prices

Dubai, Oct 25 (UNI) Thanks to the rise in wheat flour prices, Indian expatriates in the UAE will have to pay more for their favourite 'paranthas' and 'tandoori roti'.

Upcoming surprise, call it a shock, is the increase in the prices of milk powder and edible oils which will ultimately lead to a rework on the daily budget.

With this second time increase in cost of ingredients, all Indian and Pakistani food joints in the Gulf nation have raised prices of rotis, breads and other confectionery items, including the complimentary food items like curries.

Supporting the move of raising food prices, owner of Al Talib Indian restaurant said, ''We were forced to increase the price of rotis, paranthas and side dishes because the prices of ingredients have gone up again.'' ''Though the prices were hiked six months back, the cost of ingredients has gone up drastically now. We could not have run the business without increasing the prices,'' the Khaleej Times quoted him as saying.

Trying hard to manage with this change in prices, Indian labourer Ravi Rajan said, ''Buying a few rotis was the cheapest way of dining for us. The price hike will definitely drive a hole in our pockets.'' Echoing the sentiment, a Pakistani driver Saboor Khan said, ''We are trying to make both ends meet with our meagre incomes. It is hard to cope with the high living cost in the emirate. Roti is a staple food for us. In six months, the price has doubled. It affects everybody.'' Meanwhile, traders said that the main reason cited for the substantial hike is the appreciation of Euro against a weakening dollar, which has made the importers and distributors unable to absorb the huge impact.

UNI