Indian Food · Indian Crafts
WRIKSH Bangalore — A Dasara Day of Holige Making
image1 / 1The experience
A single working day in a Bangalore kitchen timed to Dasara — the festival where Karnataka reaches for Mysore Pak and Holige first. Twenty-five guests arrive to a traditional breakfast, then spend the morning with a senior home cook making puran (the chana dal + jaggery filling) and the afternoon rolling, stuffing and cooking the Holige on the tawa. Everyone eats some hot off the pan and leaves with a small kraft box of ten Holige packed within the hour — fresh enough to gift that evening. The head cook leads the demo, an assistant cook runs the tawa rotation so nothing burns, and a WRIKSH organizer keeps the day on schedule and takes photos.
Why this matters
Holige is the sweet Karnataka reaches for first every Dasara — present at every home, every temple offering, every family gathering during the 10-day festival. Learning to make it properly (the dough thin enough to roll, the puran-to-cover ratio right, the tawa timing) is a skill most adults in the state have only watched, never done. A workshop timed to the festival lets you bring home the taste of the season in your own hands — and ten more for whoever is waiting at home.
Cultural background
Holige (also called Obbattu or Puran Poli across India) is a stuffed flatbread with a sweet lentil-and-jaggery filling, fried on a tawa with ghee. In Karnataka, Holige is inseparable from the Dasara festival — the Mysore Palace alone distributes lakhs of Holige during the 10-day celebration, and every household prepares batches for relatives and guests. The recipe varies by region: the standard Karnataka version uses chana dal (Bengal gram) and jaggery, while the northern-Karnataka and Maharashtra variants often use toor dal. The technique — kneading the maida dough until silky, rolling the puran into tight balls, sealing without cracks — is a craft that passes between generations, usually mother to daughter, almost never in a formal teaching setting.
Schedule
- 1
09:00 – 09:30
Arrival · welcome filter coffee · settle in
- 2
09:30 – 10:15
Breakfast — traditional Karnataka breakfast (idli / vada / pongal + chutney + filter coffee)
- 3
10:15 – 10:45
Intro by head cook — story of Holige, regional variants, ingredient walkthrough
- 4
10:45 – 12:30
Puran preparation — shell, boil and mash chana dal; cook down with jaggery, cardamom and dry ginger
- 5
12:30 – 13:00
Lunch — light vegetarian thali
- 6
13:00 – 15:00
Holige rolling & cooking — knead dough, roll puran into balls, stuff, seal, cook on tawa with ghee
- 7
15:00 – 15:30
Fresh Holige tasting — eat what you made, hot off the tawa
- 8
15:30 – 16:00
Pack your take-home box (10 pcs) · farewell chai · group photo
Difficulty
Easy — light physical work, no prior cooking experience needed
Age suitability
10 and up; under-12s join with a parent
Included
- Hands-on Holige (Obbattu) making session with a senior home cook
- All ingredients — maida, chana dal, jaggery, ghee, spices (sourced by WRIKSH)
- Traditional Karnataka breakfast (idli / vada / pongal + filter coffee)
- Light vegetarian lunch thali
- Take-home kraft box with 10 Holige (packed fresh within the hour)
- Tea, coffee, and water through the day
Not included
- Transport to / from the Bangalore venue
- Dinner
- Accommodation (this is a day experience)
- Personal expenses
Before you arrive
- · Wear comfortable clothing you can stand and roll dough in for 2+ hours
- · Tie back long hair; an apron will be provided but expect some flour on your clothes
- · Bring a refillable water bottle
Frequently asked
I have never made Holige (or any Indian bread) before — is this suitable?
Yes. The session is designed for complete beginners — the head cook demonstrates each step, then walks the room while you practise. By the end of the day you'll have rolled and cooked your own batch.
Will the take-home Holige stay fresh?
Yes — they're packed within the hour and will keep well for 12 hours at room temperature in the kraft box. For best taste, eat or gift them the same evening. The box is lined with food-grade tissue to absorb any ghee.
Are the Holige vegetarian / vegan / gluten-free?
The standard recipe is vegetarian (no egg) and contains gluten (maida) and dairy (ghee). It is not vegan or gluten-free. If you need a gluten-free variant (jowar Holige), let us know at booking — we can arrange one for a small surcharge, with advance notice.
Can I bring my child?
Yes — children 10 and up can join independently. Under-10s join with a parent and help with the puran-mashing rather than the tawa work.
What should I wear / bring?
Comfortable clothes you can stand and roll dough in for two-plus hours. Long hair tied back. An apron is provided. Everything else — ingredients, tools, take-home box — is supplied.
What is your cancellation policy?
Full refund up to 7 days before the event; 50% refund between 7 days and 48 hours before; no refund within 48 hours of the event. Your booking confirmation email has the full terms.
What people say
Not a sight to see — a practice to enter.