Mrs BF Varughese, Kerala’s original food influencer, is back in print

Long before viral reels and YouTube tutorials, Mrs BF Varughese was shaping Malayali tables from her pantry in Kottayam. Now, 52 years after it was first published, Recipes for All Occasions returns in a redesigned edition

When I close my eyes, I am back on that hill in Kottayam, at my grandmother’s house. Though cousins, uncles and aunts constantly drifted in and out through the summer holidays I spent there, the house with its high ceiling and large windows never seemed crowded. There was always space for more.

The dining room had a massive dining table that was always laden with food: nadan dishes like erachi olathu, meen vevichathu and unniappam; Western experiments such as fish pancake, gateau mocha and shepherd’s pie; and even shrimp chopsuey and Chinese chicken.

At the heart of it all was my grandmother, Mrs BF Varughese, clad in her signature white chatta and mundu, calm and unhurried.

Although to me she was simply my grandmother, Mrs Varughese was a formidable presence in the culinary world. Her books, originally meant for households in Kerala, travelled far beyond the State, carried by generations of Malayalis. 

The warmth with which people are welcoming the re-release of her most popular book, Recipes for All Occasions, 52 years after it was first published, is a testament to its lasting influence, even in an age of YouTube tutorials and app-delivered meals.

Mrs BF Varughese | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement