Fresh Biryani on Siachen Glacier

The Defence Food Research Laboratory has made ready-to-eat non-veg food for soldiers at sub-zero outposts.

Fresh, spicy biryani for soldiers on the Siachen glacier may sound like a mirage, but it will soon form part of their rations. The Mysore-based Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has created specially packaged, pre-cooked foods that only have to be dipped in hot water to be ready to eat. 

DFRL director AS Bawa says his lab had basically developed the technology to keep food fresh. It started working on it after the Army’s request to devise a method to serve soldiers non-vegetarian food without their having to cook, especially since they were within line of sight of the enemy. “The packs have a shelf life of up to a year.  The least of comforts we can hope to give soldiers serving at the remote sub-zero outposts of Kargil and Siachen is the taste of home-cooked food,’’ says Bawa.

That’s not all that the DFRL is doing.  In order to combat loss of appetite in high-altitude areas, a major area of concern, the DFRL has also developed special chocolates. Eaten half hour before a meal, these pepper, jeera and lemon-flavoured munches help regain appetite. 

Then, there are beverages to help maintain body salts in the chilling outdoor temperatures. And protein-rich egg biscuits in pineapple, orange and vanilla flavours that have been created using real egg solids. The DFRL has been designing ration packs and combat mission packs for the defence services to ensure that they meet their calorie requirement during missions. 

It has also made innovations in cooking equipment. Its chapati-making machine, which can roll out 4,000 fluffy chapatis per hour, has incidentally become a hit even among civilians. “Some of the products that we have developed are also available for civilian use. We have transferred the technology to industry at minimal cost,’’ says Bawa. 

The DFRL lab is now working on nutritious rations that personnel selected for India’s manned moon mission could carry with them.

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Anil Budur Lulla