Porwal Namkeen

Located on Kota Cement Road, our small shop is easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. Porwal Namkeen is just a basic place where we fry up various types of savory snacks. I spend most of my time near the large vats of oil, making sure the spice mix is just right. It’s a hot job, especially during the summer months in Kota, but it’s what I know how to do. We sell a lot of sev and different mixtures to people heading home from work. The road outside is always dusty because of the trucks, but we try to keep the shop as clean as we can. I’ve been working here for years, and most of my customers are like friends now. We talk about the weather or the price of oil while I pack their bags. I don't use any fancy machines; most of it is still done by hand. It’s hard work on the legs, standing all day, but it’s a living. We don't have a big menu or anything. Just the standard items that people in this part of town like to eat with their tea. Sometimes my son comes in to help after his school, which makes things a bit easier. We just keep our heads down and do the work. It’s a simple life on the Cement Road and we are happy with it.