Khamang Snacks

Khamang Snacks is a small setup we have in Pimpri. It is mostly about the deep-fried stuff that people like to eat in the afternoons or with their morning tea. We have a big iron kadai that is almost always full of hot oil. Making snacks like this is messy work and our clothes always have a few oil stains by the end of the shift. We do things the old way, mostly by hand, because that is how we learned it. Pimpri is a crowded area so there is always someone looking for a quick bite to eat while they shop or wait for the bus. We don't have much space for people to sit down, so most of them just stand around the counter or take their bags of snacks home. We wrap everything in old newspaper or plain brown bags. It is not a corporate business, just me and a couple of helpers trying to make enough for the day. Sometimes the snacks get a bit too brown if we get distracted talking to a customer, but people usually don't mind. We use a lot of besan and green chilies. The floor gets a bit slippery sometimes so we have to be careful. We don't have a big marketing plan or anything like that. We just make the snacks and hope people like the crunch. It is honest work and it keeps us busy from dawn till dusk.