In 1950s, there was an absence of the idea of a cookbook. S. Meenakshi Ammal lost her husband, Samanna Iyer, two years after her son, Sankaran, was born. As a young widow with two kids and an old mother-in-law to tend to, she grew up in a tough household. Even as a child she loved cooking and was brilliant at the art. She recognized cooking as something everyone could learn and that required guidance. She was often requested for recipes and kept writing them out and sending out to her friends and relatives. Her uncle, Rao Bahadur K V Krishnaswami Iyer, persuaded her to publish all her recipes as an anthology. S. Meenakshi Ammal Publications started publishing the first cookbook - Samaithu Par.
They have published three anthologies that revise known and unknown South Indian Vegetarian recipes, festivals, ritualistic cooking, illustrated explanations of cooking equipments, translation of ingredients, and so on. It is an amazingly comprehensive book, any first time cook can pick it up just for Rs. 50.
These books have been translated into five languages; ‘Cook and See’ (English), Adugae Maadi Noadu (Kannada), Vanta Chesi Choodu (Telugu), Pachakam Cheidu Noakku (Malayalam), and Pakake Dekho (Hindi). All leading booksellers stock copies of this extremely famous cookbook series. Her heart was set in making some women well trained confident and independent cooks. It reached out to all the newly wed women, helping them juggle between work and making a home.
Samaithu Par house
188 Ramakrishna Mutt Road
Chennai – 600028
Ph - 044-24938788
188 Ramakrishna Mutt Road
Chennai – 600028
Ph - 044-24938788
