JODHPUR: A Jodhpur restaurant is hoping to win back customers afraid of eating out during the COVID-19 pandemic with a special "COVID Curry" and "Mask Naans".
"This has been a really tough time for us and for our entire sector," Yash Solanki, owner of the vegetarian Vedic eatery in the western city of Jodphur, told AFP.
The fried vegetable balls have been shaped to look like the "crowned" coronavirus, while the accompanying breads look like surgical masks.
Solanki said that they had also added, and advertised, that their COVID curry had extra Indian herbs and spices that are good for people's health.
"Even with recently relaxed curbs, the fear still dominates. People are still very reluctant to eat out," Solanki said.
The New Indian Express had earlier reported about a hotel in Madurai that added mask parotta to its menu in early July.
"The ingredients and preparation for 'mask parotta' are the same as 'veechu parotta' and differs only in shape where three layers of a face mask is tactfully kneaded from the dough. Being instrumental in spreading an important message in my hometown at this pandemic period gives me immense satisfaction, making it a worthwhile effort," S Sathish Babu, one of the people involved in its making, had said.
The Madurai hotel in May had also introduced 'Corona' rava dosa (priced Rs 50 a piece), 'Corona' bonda (a plate of two pieces priced Rs 50), herbal rasam made using the ingredients of the Siddha immune-boosting concoction 'kabasurakudineer'.
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(With inputs from AFP and Express News Service)