For a snapshot of India’s rising food costs, look no further than the traditional thali, the ubiquitous set meal that puts many of the country’s everyday staples on a single plate.
Those ingredients are taking a bigger bite out of household budgets. Food accounts for almost half of monthly spending for some rural families and nearly 40% in cities. Onions, a foundation of countless savory dishes, have risen almost 50% from a year earlier. Vegetable oil used for frying street snacks is also rising, and the ginger vital for flavor has surged more than 70%, the latest consumer price index for August shows.
