For over 25 years, she moulded novices in cooking into skilled cooks, even while helping the experienced ones brush up their talents further. All this with an affection that was almost personal, even though she may have never met these people, forging a bond with so many across Maharashtra, and even outside.

Born on September 17, 1912, in a village called Kundal near Kirloskarwadi, Kamalabai got married when she was just 12 and moved to Sangli. Her mother-in-law took the young girl under her wing, training her to cook and encouraging her to try out different recipes and persevering till the dish came out the way she wanted.

A couple of years later, Kamalabai moved to Mumbai, where she decided to use her culinary skills to teach others. In her classes, she came across older members asking her to teach fancy dishes while the younger ones wanted to learn the nitty-gritties of everyday cooking. This continued for a couple of years, until her daughter suggested that Kamalabai write a book - something that would come as a boon to many.

Since she herself had barely completed her primary education, Kamalabai's book was entirely encrypted by her husband as per her dictations. And she was convinced that the clarity and precision in the measurements and directions were because of his constant questions to her as she dictated.

A decade-long endeavour, the first edition of Ruchira hit the market in 1972, after a series of refusals by many publishing books. Today, that would seem like very poor market sense indeed! The Kirloskar Press, and later the Mehta Publishing House, brought out its subsequent editions - numbering 36 in all. Translated into Kannada and English, the Marathi original alone sold over 2,50,000 copies. Its popularity remains unparalleled by any Marathi fiction or non-fiction work. And Kamalabai Ogale shall always continue to be a household name.