How five women from a Palakkad bakery found YouTube stardom

A lively bunch of women, dressed in identical blue saris, is busy preparing a Deepavali special “bread sweet” for the camera. Using just ghee, bread, milk and sugar, they whip up a dish that looks easy and delicious. Meet the women from VillageFoodKerala, a YouTube channel documenting recipes, rustic flavours and traditional cooking styles of Palakkad.Since the launch of the channel on YouTube and Facebook in 2024, VillageFoodKerala has struck a chord with Malayalis the world over, with its nadan (traditional) recipes cooked outdoors in picturesque locations.It all began when Rajani R, Sarada M, Dhanya R, Renjini NR and Jayaprabha KV, who baked cakes at Thejus bakery in Mundur, Palakkad, dreamt of becoming content creators. It was the year 2020. They talked about it endlessly and decided that they would create videos of what they did best — cooking. Little did they think that six years later, by 2026, their YouTube channel would have over one lakh subscribers and a Silver Play Button to boot. Team VillagefoodKerala | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement They shared their dream with the owner of the bakery, Jayaprasad MR, who readily offered to help. He brought on board videographer Karthik S to help with the content, filming and editing and thus began a journey through social media that took people through the joys of simple meals, cooked with love. The initial days were filled with excitement. “We would sit together and plan what to cook and how to go about it. While shooting, we spent hours outdoors in the scorching heat of Palakkad. But it was an exhilarating experience,” says Sarada. The journey has also been empowering for these women. “From the confines of the kitchen to facing a camera and speaking confidently, we have come a long way. Now people recognise us. We have become minor celebrities,” laughs Sarada. “When we started out, we were not so sure of ourselves. We are regular working women; we have not had much exposure. But as we kept doing our videos, we discovered so much about ourselves. It gave us a platform to showcase our skills,” she adds. “It fills us with joy when we see people appreciate our content and encourage us.”The women choose traditional recipes and try to use locally-available ingredients to cook. “Most of the dishes we cook are recipes that have been part of Palakkad’s culinary heritage. We have each gleaned our cooking styles and techniques from our mothers and grandmothers,” says Rajani. VillagefoodKerala team with Jayaprasad MR and Karthik S with YouTube’s Silver Play Button (in white) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The chicken and kumbalanga (ash gourd) curry, for instance, is unique to Palakkad. A spicy curry, the ingredients — chunks of ash gourd and chicken — and masalas are mixed by hand before it is cooked. “That helps in blending the masala well. The ash gourd is believed to balance the heat from the chicken,” adds Rajani. Some of their other popular recipes include Palakkad style Rawther biryani, moringa leaf pulincurry, Kerala mutton soup, starfruit and sardine curry, raw banana and milk shark curry, papaya and chicken curry and taro stem and tapioca curry. Snacks, cakes and desserts are also part of their videos. “We pick easy-to-make dishes that do not need expensive ingredients, are healthy and use locally-sourced produce,” says Renjini.Dhanya adds, “We enjoy the process of cooking. We talk, crack jokes, all in our quintessential Palakkad dialect, which we are told, adds to the charm of the content.” Team VillagefoodKerala | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The women are still employed at the bakery and they work on their videos as and when they find time. “We try to do at least four videos a month, but it depends on their work schedule,” says Karthik, who ensures that he adds a cinematic touch, shooting in scenic spots that showcase the beauty of Palakkad. “It was his suggestion that we wear identical saris and that has worked well,” says Jayaprabha. VillageFoodKerala’s Facebook page has over 1,73,000 followers. Since the launch of their channel, a lot has changed for these women. “We have started earning, and it has helped our families a great deal. We will also use the income to help people in need. Our biggest dream is to take VillageFoodKerala to more people and do more videos,” adds Jayaprabha.Negative comments are part of the deal. “But we take it in our stride. A lot of effort goes into every video and we were not ready to give up on that. We have learnt something valuable in this journey. When you want something, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” says Sarada.