Few have championed the cuisine of Kerala like Mrs K. M. Mathew (1922-2003), who pioneered cooking and authored twenty-seven cookbooks, introducing an entire generation to the culinary culture of the state. A true master of the craft, she travelled across the length and breadth of Kerala, visiting homes and restaurants, noting down recipes, before going back home to experiment with dishes repeatedly until they were perfect. Eventually, she ushered in a shift from oral telling of recipes to written instructions, and before long, due to her innovative and easy step-by-step approach to cooking, her cookbooks started being gifted to newly married couples. And even today, her books not only remind people of her unforgettable recipes but also inspire new readers to rush to the kitchen. Published in the year of Mrs K M Mathew's 100th birth anniversary, Mrs K M Mathew's Finest Recipes, after the success of her seminal book Flavours of the Spice Court, brings to a new generation of readers a definitive compilation of her all-time top recipes that have been enjoyed around the world.

Mrs K. M. Mathew (1922-2003) was the founder editor of Vanitha, the leading Malayalam magazine for women, and as Kerala's best-known food writer, she authored more than twenty-seven cookery titles in Malayalam and English, including the bestseller Flavours of the Spice Court, published by Penguin in 2002.