Lal G Namkeen Wafers

You can find our place on the Vasai Bhiwandi Road, tucked right behind the Marathi school in Kaman Gaon, Vasai East. We make all kinds of namkeen and potato wafers right here on the premises. It’s a bit of a dusty area because of the road, but once you step inside, you can usually smell the oil and the spices we use for the snacks. We don't have a big factory with robots. It is mostly people doing the work by hand—slicing the potatoes, frying them in big batches, and then tossing them with salt or masala. We started this because we liked making snacks, and it just grew from there. The days are long and it gets very hot near the stoves, especially in the summer months. We don't use fancy packaging with lots of colors and logos. We just put the snacks in clear bags so people can see what they are getting. Our customers are mostly local shops and people passing by on the road who want something to eat. We spend a lot of time making sure the wafers are crispy enough. Sometimes a batch doesn't come out right, and we have to figure out if it was the oil or the potatoes. It’s a simple, honest way to make a living. We’ve been in Kaman Gaon for years and most of the school kids know us for the smell of fresh chips.