The laughter, giggles, and chatter of my grandchildren makes home lively. But this afternoon, they all seemed to be in a deep discussion. As I stood in the kitchen stirring sambar, I could hear their little arguments and debates. They all looked serious yet the topic of discussion made me smile. The big question? Which crispy treat should we have for lunch: Karam Appadalu, Saggubiyyam Vadiyalu, Biyyam Pindi Vadiyalu, or Chitti Vadiyalu?

As the oil sizzled, I began frying the vadiyalu, listening to their chatter. Gargi was the first to share her choice. She voted for Chitti Vadiyalu for their extra crunch, bite-sized shapes and the texture they add to curries. Aha! The crispiness of Chitti Vadiyalu in dishes like Gongura Pulusu and Vankaya Bajji kura is delicious. “The bigger, the better. Karam appadalu are the best”, called out little Karthikeya. And, I laughed at his innocence. While Shruti loved Saggubiyyam Vadiyalu for their lightness and the way they melt gracefully in the mouth, Maitreyi preferred Biyyam Pindi Vadiyalu for their unique shape and satisfying crunch.

After frying, I brought all the crispy treats to the table. “Ammama, which one is your favourite?” they asked. I smiled at them and said, “I love them all.”

“But how will you eat them all at the same time?”, they asked. I took each of —Chitti Vadiyalu, Karam Appadalu, Saggubiyyam Vadiyalu, and Biyyam Pindi Vadiyalu, gently crushed them with hand, added a large dollop of ghee, and rolled them into a bite-sized morsel. “This,” I said, “is what we call Vadiyala Annam.” Their eyes widened with flavours and textures as I fed them, one by one.

That’s the beauty of Vadiyalu. You place them on the table, and they find a way of bringing together everyone with their flavours and textures. Grab this combo of Crispy delight, enjoy them as side dishes, snacks or as traditional Vadiyala Annam to enjoy the crispy flavours.