It is has been only six months since Sri Devi Holige Stall on Dewan’s road opened in Chamaraja  Mohalla, but people from as far as Hebbal in the city frequent it for its tasty and hygienic desi snacks. Proprietor of the stall Ananthaiah,says holige, sajjappa and khara avalakki are the ‘hot favourites’ highly preferred by his customers.

Hot and fresh holiges are also available in the evenings – since the last fortnight – as Ananthaiah took the adjacent shop exclusively to prepare them in the most hygienic way. Sri Devi Holige Stall is also famous for its godhi (wheat) halwa, rave unde, khara boondi and mixture items. Four types of holiges are available – kadalebele (Bengal gram) holige, thogaribele (toor dal) holige, kaai (coconut) holige and karjura (dates) holige.

Srivathsa, son of Ananthaiah, who helps his father in his business, said karjura holige was their specialty and had many takers among the customers. Apart from these ready to eat snacks, Sri Devi Holige Stall also caters to the needs of the people in the instant preparation snacks category like varieties of sandige (ready-to-fry short eats) , appala (papads) and morasu menasinakaai (chilly soaked in spicy curds and dried under shade).

Srivatsa said since hot holige is being dished out from 5 to 8 pm everyday more and more customers are drawn towards the stall.

Lalitha, who was buying holige, said preparation of this particular dish is time consuming and laborious hence it was easier to buy here.

 These days there is hardly any time for family members to lend a helping hand for homemakers. While working people are busy with their official schedules, children are busy with school and extra-curricular activities.

She recalled how she would help her mother in making special dishes either during festivals or otherwise along with her brothers and sisters. Lalitha said now even the number of children in a family is limited.

In most of the homes, it is just one child, so there is no question of involvement of a family in preparing food. But everybody likes desi snacks, so the shop was catering to them, in a way, in relishing those food items.

She said even prices were reasonable, so the frequenting the place to satiate one’s taste buds can be unlimited. Some of the snacks like puri unde (puffed rice ball), kadalekai mithai (groundnut burfi), chakkali, kodubale, etc, are not prepared by Ananthaiah and team, but are sold here.