Just Walking Around

Wafers….. Those salted crunchy crispies.

Is it just me or do you feel addicted to those crispy salty potato wafers once you bit into one . The next thing you know is you would have finished the bowl full and craving for more.And if you are directly eating from the plastic packet you will not know when its over as most often than not since your eyes would be glued to the television watching some movie or an interesting cricket or a soccer match. Your fingers will be fishing for even the small scraps of these salted wafers from the bottom of the pack. These potato wafers are hit with people of all ages be it kids or teens or us who are middle aged but young at heart.

I still remember the time we went to our best buddies birthday parties which would be organized at home unlike today’s generation don’t think twice before throwing a lavish party at the latest trending restaurant leaving you high and dry while paying the bill. At those small get together's where we friends would gather at the birthday boy’s home the menu was set it would be either be a Samosa or a bata wada with a sweet and minty Chutney sandwich along with those crispy potato wafers. If the party was a little grand you would have a bread roll or a pav bhaji and of course there would be a big piece of the birthday Cake –chocolaty and sweet. Every one would be happy just talking and enjoying some music on the in house music system or even a tape recorder. Some gossip , some discussion on the school portion , talks about the latest movies or the last cricket match watched. What a fun.

But till today the potato wafer remains the all time favorite accompaniment for any snack plate you offer to your visitors during any function be it small or big .

And do you know where these crunchie's and best bought it is at some small shops across Mumbai.

Inside the cottage-lined by-lanes of Khotachi Wadi in Girgaon, sits Venkatesh Subbiah's Ideal Wafers. Ask passersby for directions and they'll walk you right up to it. Or you can simply follow your nose.


It is 11am, and the pocket-sized cooking area at the back of the shop is already overrun with drums of freshly fried potato wafers. In still more vats filled with water are spud slices, waiting to be lowered into the giant frying pan. Every four minutes, a new batch fried in 60 litres of vanaspati is whisked out and added to the drum. In about an hour, the batch is cooled, packed, and placed on the shelves outside. At one corner of the shop his staff supervised by his  wife, Vaidehi, busily packs bagfuls of the salted wafers for the customers.

Looking at him going about his business a thought strikes my mind  "How does he manages to stand for so long in front of the pan, and that too for so many hours, every single day." After Subbiah has finally exited the kitchen, mopping his brow, he agrees that the wafer business can be rather demanding. "In fact, if someone asks for my advice, I'd tell them to not get into this business," he says laughingly. Ideal Wafers, is one of Mumbai's oldest family-run wafer businesses. The salted potato wafers and peppery banana chips have been drawing buyers from across the city for over five decades now. They are so light and tasty you would easily eat away the half kg pack all by yourself in one sitting.

Until about two decades ago, other family-run establishments like Gala Wafers, Coronation Wafers and Golden Wafers flourished in Mumbai. Today, real estate prices, labour shortage and bigger brands have forced many to down shutters. Ideal is among a handful of its kind still going strong, along with Janta in Malad, A1 Wafers in Dadar (E) and Grant Road, and Welcome Wafers in Mahim

The last two were set up by entrepreneurs, both inspired by wafer veteran, Coronation. While A1's customers include retailers, movie theatres, cafeterias and restaurants, Welcome Wafers has made inroads in Punjab and Gujarat too. It has come a long way from the 1970s, when founder Velji Gada made wafers by hand and sold them in the neighbourhood on bicycle. Today, the range has expanded to include varieties like tomato, cheese, banana chips, a newly launched "tangy" flavour called Golden Bites, and namkeen like chivda and masala salli. "Never say never," says Sameer Gada, Welcome's second-generation owner. According to him "You need to keep experimenting. The tomato flavour, took over a 100 tries before we got the perfect combination."

Inputs from regular customers and retailers are key. The Gujarati community often prefers a less spicy variety, while masala-packed wafers are popular up north, Gada adds. Supply also follows festival and school schedules. At Ideal Wafers, the production of plain potato wafers is cranked up during Shravan, while Gada's retailers ask for tangier, kiddie-favourite flavours when school holidays begin.

This  namkeen manufacturing is mostly unregulated, and family-run businesses face competition from both international brands as well as the unbranded, sasta wafers. Welcome Wafers countered this with corporate branding and good old-fashioned business smarts. They also have to watch out for new falvours from these international brands as the customer then look out fro a patrtcular taster or flavor in these local wafers too. The idea is to look at the bigger brands not as competition, but straight up opportunity. Formulae are closely guarded, and it is not unheard of for rivals to send a spy to copy the secret recipes.

But what can't be replicated, is the staff with decades of skill. Old-timers can slice a potato in half and know the starch content just by the crunch it makes, rater than the litmus test carried out by quality control persons.

We all know Lonavala is famous for its chikkis those sweet slabs of jiggery mixed with peanuts , cashew or til. But you also get the best variety of Potato wafers at Rupam Chikki. Their wafers and really thin , crispy and literally melts in your mouth when eat them. Fresh wafers are made every day and sold . such is the demand that the stock last fro few hours each morning and evening when they put on sale. Do try and pick a packet next time you in Lonavala to enjoy it cool and pleasant climate.

Yes you may put on some extra calories eating these addictive salted snacks but then what life without such small sinful namkeen's…