5 Years of Aayi's Recipes

5 Years And Counting ….

Today this blog turns 5. Thanks to all of you who supported this venture.

5 Years of Aayi's Recipes
We had started this place, 5 years ago as a place to save our home-made food recipes and also some new trials by us. In the beginning, I had no clue about blogs, let alone food blogs. I only discovered them about 4 months after I had gotten started. I was really happy to find so many like minded people. The day I received the first comment on the blog, I was ecstatic. I cannot believe this has lasted so long and the amount of love and admiration I have received from you all.
So to sum it up, Aayi’s Recipes is a place with the following purposes
1. Preserve and document food recipes that my family enjoy and grew up with
2. Log the experience and preparation of new learnings spanning across a variety of cuisines
3. Connect with like minded food lover readers, friends and bloggers

I think it is time, I answered some of frequently asked questions.

Why don’t you post your family pictures?
At this point, I like to keep this place, focused on food. Occasionally you might find some personal posts, as you always have. I may think otherwise in future, but at this point, I like to keep it that way. I hope you all respect my decision.

Why should I leave comments?
Comments are the only way I get to know who is reading and what they are liking here. Recently some people who had never commented here before said they read the blog for some particular type of recipes and I have posted some other type of recipes. Well, if you have never commented here, how would I know that? It may not be possible for me to always post what each and everyone wants, because each day I get so many different requests. But atleast I would know what you want to read here. I encourage you to write atleast a single line here when you try out a recipe. Tell me what you liked about it or what you did not like. If you have genuinely taken advantage of this blog, please let me know. Please be polite while commenting. It takes a lot of hard work – time, energy and money, to maintain this blog, so let us make it a homely and nice place. Please do not spoil it for everyone, it is my sincere request.

I asked for a recipe many times and it did not get posted yet.
As I said before, I post what I cook here. Many a times, when I get a request, I try to find the recipe and prepare it. But it is not always possible. Sometimes I don’t know the recipe, sometimes I cannot prepare it here for various reasons. I don’t post anything unless I try it myself.

Post some videos
I know it would be incredibly helpful for some people. But videos take a lot more time and equipment, which I do not have at this point.

I like xyz feature from another site/blog, please provide it here.
I would love to make this site better, but as I said earlier, because of time constraints, I am unable to work on many things that I would like to. But I will definitely try.

Why do you post Konkani recipes or why do you post non-Konkani recipes?
I get this all the time. My non-Konkani readers don’t want to read the Konkani names and the recipes with coconut(most of the Konkani recipes have coconut). Please ignore the recipes with coconut and read the others.
My Konkani readers want to read ONLY Konkani recipes. Well, that is not why I started this blog. I want to share all the recipes that I try. If you don’t like non-Konkani recipes, then ignore them and read the Konkani recipes. I have posted so many of them and I try my best to post more in this category.

I want to post some recipes on this blog. How can I?
At this point, there is no option to post reader’s recipes. In future I may provide this. In the past, I asked some people to help me out with recipes. I don’t say it always worked well. So I decided to keep it to my family’s and my recipes only.

Once again, Thank you so much for all your encouragement. I hope you continue to like this place.

113 thoughts on “5 Years And Counting ….”

  1. Hearty Congratulations on the 5th Blog Anniversary.Wish to see many more such anniversaries celebrated by you through this blog.

    Hope you and your baby are doing well and in good health.

  2. Congratulations on the 5 years of blogging as well as all the changes that have occurred in your life in that time. I remember reading posts about when you didn’t work, the artwork site, then you started working.. now you even have a baby! Much has changed! 🙂 I haven’t read each and every post here, but love whatever I have read and find it very inspiring! Thanks and keep up the good work!

  3. Shilpa, Congratulations om 5th anniversary. This site has helped me in many ways. I always appreciated your prompt responses to queries.

  4. Hearty congrats Shilpa. And thanks a ton for this blog. I came to USA as a student 3 years back, and have been consistently following your blogs to spawn delicacies which my roomies love. To think of it, I couldn’t even make my own tea, back in India.

  5. Hi Shilpa,
    Congratulations!!!!!
    Your hard work and patience is appreciated.
    And congrats to all your family members as they are also equally related.
    Because of aayis recipies, I am proud to call myself a cook.
    We wish you more 100 years of happy and healthy blogging.

  6. Hi Shilpa,

    Congratulations for this wonderful milestone… i am happy to get an opportunity to wish you on this special occasion…you have wonderful collection of recipes … and my favorite is the idly and dosa section…i never we can make so many types of idlis…

    i am new blogging and u r my inspiration..if you do get time do visit my blog
    http://superyummyrecipes.com/

  7. Congratulations Shilpa on achieving this goal. I have always loved your blog for your exact measurements and small tips. If I try something new from your site I can safely trust that it will be good. Hats off to u 🙂

  8. Congratulations Shilpa! Your blog was one of the first I came across and I have loved the forthright way in which you write. The recipes are simply put forward and even the most intricate recipes seem so beautifully easy.
    Keep doing what you are doing – its obviously working very well 🙂

  9. Shilpa,

    Congrats.
    I have never commented before, but I am a regular visitor to your site and have even tried few of them, which has come out really well. Keep up the good work.

  10. Congrats Shilpa. This is quite an achievement. Wishing you many more happy blogging years ahead. Yours is the first food blog I came across and it was indeed an inspiration for me to start one.

  11. Happy Birthday to your wonderful blog, Shilpa! I keep coming here for tried and tested recipes that have now become part of my life. Thank you for everything!

  12. Shilpa Shanbhag

    Congrats Shilpa, Varada Pachi, V and Ishaan…. Aayis recipes has become integral part of our lives and we cannot do without visiting the site atleast once daily 🙂

    Kudos!!!!

  13. Congratulations Shilpa…
    Love your site…keep up the great work you do and thanks so very much for sharing your recipes with us.
    Regards,
    Barbara in Toronto

  14. Dear Shilpa,
    I read your blog almost everyday. I might have commented once or twice.. So I want to take this opportunity to thank you & your mom for all the effort you take to try and blog the recipes here.. I have tried your Belgaum chicken biryani, rave laddu which have turned out extremely well. I am a mangalorean and I love to read your konkani recipes as well as non-konkani ones. Your writing makes me think you are a kind and sincere person by nature and I love to come back here everyday. Congratulations on the blog anniversary. Truly a commendable achievement.

  15. Hearty Congratulations on the 5th Blog Anniversary
    we wish you to celebrate many many many aniversaries by GODS LOVE.
    really fantastic blog
    great effort
    thank you sooo much and once again hearty congratulations
    Take care..

  16. Congratulations, Shilpa! 5yrs and keeping a blog alive is not an easy task at all! You’ve done a good job at, not just keeping it alive but also responding to people’s comments regularly. That, I guess is indeed an achievement.

    I have tried a lot of your recipes and have left comments as and when I did. I have also recommended your website to many of my Konkani friends, both here and in India.

    Thanks to both you and you Aayi for a job well done! Congratulations again!

  17. Congrats !!! It’s really great effort to post so many recipes in user friendly way for five years. I only pray you continue in this manner & enlighten many souls like me. Thanks .

  18. MANY MANY HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS.. to the Aayi’s recipes Team.. Thanks to you all for such a commendable job.

  19. Congratulations Shilpa,
    This is a big achievement indeed wish you many more years of food blogging.Im sure as Ishaan will be growing up you will come up with lots of kid friendly recipes which I am looking forward to:)

  20. hi Shilpa,

    Congratulations to you and Aayi’s recipes team u guys are doing a great job. this is my first comment on your blog and i would like to inform you that i after trying on many varieties for a egg less cake recipe when i came across your dates cake recipe i was a bit reluctant to try it but when i tried it came out wonderfully and now all my family and friends are a big fan of that cake. so once again thanks to you, your aapchi and mom for such a great recipe.

  21. Congrats Shilpa,
    If u read this comment , maybe u could convert ur recipes into fat free or health recipes, ur recipes are amazing& ihave started cooking them very often.

  22. Hi shilpa,

    Congratulations! Happy Birthday to Aayis Recipes. I really appreciate your creativity, hard work and consistency over the years. It takes dedication for cooking blogs to keep posting new and different recipes every time.

    You are a great cook too. You have an online Konkani Cookopedia! Congratulations.

  23. Shilpaji
    Many many congratulations on 5th Anniversery of Aayi’s Recipes.
    This is good that it is only Kokani recipes blog. There are many blogs of different kind is good. Any time if I want to refer Kokani style I come over here and have a look inside.

    My friend is from Kokan many times talk about that wonderful place. Even someone should start Parsi recipes blog also. They too have many variety, style, but I’m vegetarian.
    When video is there then details will be less, right now more details will be there, both are good! Long live!

  24. Shilpa,
    Congratulations on your 5th Anniversary. It seems like you started it yesterday. In spite of busy career, new born baby you have continued to contribute here. It is not easy. When I hear when people complain about how busy they are I think of you. Congratulations to your husband, mother, father everybody else who is supporting you. Once again thanks for making us look forward to your food blog.

  25. Hi Shilpa,
    Congratulations on successful completion of 5 yrs of this blog. I am a newbie to cooking and i must say ur blog is a boon to me. Somehow it has inspired me to trying out new recipes, and i simply love the look on my Hubby’s face when he tastes the food. I must say its a great work and commitment on ur part which we all to appreciate and admire too..
    Thank you very much,
    Long live Aayis recipe.

  26. Congratulation on your 5th Anniversary.I am from Indian Malaysian, I have tried your recipes, and am please to say that I receive many compliments.
    Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your family recipes. Enjoy Motherhood! Lots of hard work but very rewarding.

  27. Hi Shilpa,
    Hearty Congratulations and wish u many more celebrations.
    The hard work and involvement of all ur family members(Aayi especially and all others also) is appreciated.
    Always curious for new recipes in ur blog…
    Keep going…Good luck

  28. Congratulations ! Shilpa on the compeletion of 5 yrs of Aayi’s recipes.

    The first time i was introduced to this website, I was glad to c a website dedicated to typical Amchigale recipes…It has definitely changed the way people look at South indian food, which was normally perceived as Idlis, dosas,medu vadas and uttappa.

    Great going Shilpa & team…keep up the good work and continue to post amchigale food and of course! non amchi’s as well.

  29. HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY to Aayi’s Recipes and Congratulations to you both Varadapachi and Shilpa.

    I am grateful to you both for turning me into a cook. I started out with nothing as I had maids at my beck and call. Today I do not have a maid at all. We do all our work between my husband and me. I have two boys 9 and 11 and I work full time 9.00am to 6.00pm. If at all today I can manage my kitchen and my ‘hungry spiders’, it is to the credit of Aayi’s Recipes. The printouts I take from your site have been catalogued in a file and this file occupies the pride of place in my kitchen.
    I plan the previous nite and next morning I am up at 5.00 am armed with an ‘Aayi Recipe special’. My sons often say ‘This must be Aayi’s recipe, Dad’. My husband who is Mangalorean is appreciative. I am a Goan and I am deeply grateful.
    Thanks a million for your large heartedness – this kind of selfless sharing stems from this quality only.
    Love and best wishes for many more happy years ahead.
    Sandra D’Sa (Goa)

  30. Happy B’day and many more to come!

    I like most of the recipes, the ease of cooking them and the creativity with which they are presented. You are really making use of the talents God has given you and helping us also to do the same.

    Thanks, keep it going!!

  31. Congratulations Shilpa… Your recipe blog is really “ROCKING”

    Continuously blogging for 5 years is really a commendable task and Yes !!! you have done it. Systematic approach, recipe photos, brief notes/tips have made this blog a special one for all of us.

    Last but not least, you are my inspiration to start a recipe blog… (Though my blog is not as systematic as yours)

    I wish you many such blogging years.

    Regards,
    Amarendra

  32. Smitha Mascarenhas

    Dear Shilpa, Congratulations for completing 5 years of blogging. I have been following your blog since 2006 and tried many of your recipes and they have turned out well most of time. Thanks for providing easy-to-follow recipes. I even like the picture u have put for this post. By the way from where did u find those lovely birindas?

  33. Congratulations !! U have made our lives yummier :). Many more years to the blog .
    Good days & Happy future ahead
    Lotza luv
    Revati

  34. Hey Shilpa,

    Congratulations! I understand that it takes a lot of effort to keep this blog going inspite of your career & new born baby.
    Your contribution is well appriciated than regrets which is beyond your control. So, just ignore them thinking that they have failed to understand the purpose.
    I’d also like to congratulate your husband, parents & others who has supported in achieving the success over the years.
    I must admit that I’ve learnt many recipes from the site and have also been inspired by you. Thank you for being so helpful.

  35. Happy Bday to Aayi’s Recipes and Congrats for this achievement.!!!!!

    Like the name, you too ve been like our AAYI, giving wonderful tips n ofcourse the amazing recipes!!!

    Thanks a ton!!!!!!!

    Regards,
    Aparna

  36. Sangeetha Prabhu

    Hi Dear,

    Congrats!!! on completing 5 yrs. I see that you are still posting good recipes while attending to your new motherhood. So here’s wishing both your Babies good health and looong life. I just love your site, and i may not make all ur recipes but one visit here and I get inspired to go to my kitchen and try something. Every amchigele female I know, has heard about your place thru’ me. I understand that you want to keep this a food related site only BUT a little more info about you and a couple of photos will definitely be welcome.
    Lotsa love

  37. Hey Shilpa,Congratulations!!! Gratitude for such Superb,mouth-watering,easy n quick receipes 🙂 Your blog is really a blessing.Every friday it has become a ritual to check ur blog to make some yummy dishes over the weekend…Now even my hubby n son know and sometimes they tease me too :)U r a real saviour:) Keep up the gud work.Hope Ishaan is healthy n happy .Take Care
    Richa

  38. Heartiest Congrats to you on completing 5 YEARS,Maka tuka sangacha bare wat ta ki you have really taken great efforts to bring all the Konkani receipes together which helps us to prepare the food as our grand mothers used to prepare,the taste doesn’t come exactly as my grand mother cooks but it comes near to that taste.If you don’t mind I would like to suggest,why don’t you PRINT A BOOK WITH ALL YOUR KONKANI RECEIPES,because its not possible to take all receipes print out.Please think over this.And one think I would like to tell you that please take your time and reply me if you receive this message so that I will come to know that you have received this message.
    Thank You and All The Best.
    Regards
    Chaitali G Shanbhag

  39. sabitha shenoy

    Congratulations Shilpa. Hats off to your patience in maintaining the blog for such a long time. It is getting better day by day. I wish you all the success for the future.

    When you deside, please post your family picture which we would love to see as after following your blog I have developed a pictrue about you and I would like to match my imagination with reality and also I would love to meet you if God wishes!
    I also appreciate Varada mayi for her interest. I wish you all the best.

  40. Hello,

    Congratulations. I keep visiting your blog and looking at the beautiful pictures of food posted. I have tried a few recipes too. My favourite is the nankhatai since I had been looking a recipe which does not call for dalda as my friend’s mum used dalda in her recipe. I was very happy with the result and also tried variations like adding ground oats, wholemeal flour, ragi flour etc.
    Thank you for sharing your recipes and I’m grateful to quite a lot of food bloggers who helped me try out quite a few varieties which I would not have known before. Just to add my two cents, i actually like trying other ways of cooking since making recipes in only one style for ex. north indian would make it boring for me and that gives me more variations instead of the usual fare. I hope you will keep posting more recipes. Thanks once again

  41. Congratulations to you & your family on completing 5yrs !!!
    Aayis recipes has truly become a household name among my friends & family.
    We wish you many more years of blogging success.

  42. Congratulations! its really an achievementto reach the age 5!
    I love your recipes. You were in in way instrumental in getting me to start my blog.Thanks.
    All the very best to you and your blog!

  43. Congratulations!!! Aayi’s Recipes.
    Shilpa, admire your interest and dedication. Its one of the best food blogs, any time Iam confused or dont know what to cook, ‘Aayi’s Recipes’ is the first thing that comes to mind. Keep up the good work.

  44. Congrats.! Shilpa . I have tried quite a few recipes , and believe me first try it was a success.. Once Again Thanks u very much , Wish U good luck .
    Regards,
    Lakshmi

  45. Dear Shilpa…
    Congrats on completing 5 years….wow…its such a long time and u still post recipes so regularly. Hats off to you..

    Well…the first time, i checked ur website…is when I came onsite(Amsterdam, Netherlands) and i had never cooked at my home(not even once tried)…. but frankly , without you I could have never cooked anything tasty and delicious…i m maharashtrian(from konkan region)…my aayis(she is amazing cook, i m hopeless as her daughter) recipes are same as urs and urs aayi..so i dont have to call her everytime i make something…..
    Thanks a lot dear for guiding me and pushing me to try something….(yes, you did all that)…
    Bye….take care
    supriya

  46. Dear Shilpa,
    I have been following your blog since 2006 and this is the first time I am leaving a comment.You have done such a commendable job both with Aayis recipes and with your artcampus inspite of your busy schedules.You are an inspiration to me.I have tried out lots of your recipes successfully.Getting a recipe right is such an awesome feeling and I have you to thank for lots of my successes in the kitchen.

    Keep up the fantabulous job.Congratulations to you ,your mom and the rest of ur family who support you in your endeavours.

  47. Dear Shilpa,

    Congrats on this great achievement ! Waiting for more recipes to come by.. You indeed have a lots of patience. You have consistently posted recipes all these years. Great Going !

  48. Dear Shilpa and Aayi,

    Congratulations on such enduring effort! My first contact with your blog was during research on how to make soft chapatti. Like everyone else, I have just never looked back! Chapatti are perfect. My kitchen has not been the same; as a mater of fact, I came back tonight to locate the recipe for goda masala that finished yesterday (large batch kept perfect in freezer). I do not mind anything that you post even though I am vegan. I know that there are others who need the variety of your help and kindness as much as I do. And I have had nothing but success with your help.

    Forever grateful,
    Deborah

  49. Congrats on your wonderful space.

    I don’t comment too often but is a regular reader. Love the konkani and the non konkani recipe and the simplicity with which you present them..

    many many to come.
    Soma

  50. congrats..for u r website n baby. I have been regularly reading u r blog for the last 2-3 years.. Its wonderful n I frequently refer to many of u r recipes over n over again…always wanted to comment but too lazy to do so.

    I must say I love u r no-nonsense and totally honest style of dealing with queries n comments..n the lay out of blog too is easy on eyes..(not like some other konkani blogs which use stylized fonts which r hard to read) keep it up….
    thanx a lot for taking so much trouble, which hav benefitted strangers like me…..

  51. Hi Shilpa,

    Congratulations on completion of 5 years of your blog!!

    Your recipes are perfect. I have tried a few and they have come out very well (both konkani and non-konkani ones).
    And I like your presentation a lot too.

    And keep posting (may it be veg or non-veg,konkani or non-konkani or any dish of your liking).
    You are doing a great job dear.. I simply love each and everything in your wonderful space here.

  52. Hey Shilpa….Hearty Congrats! I wish you have many more such celebrations & sincerely thank you & your Aayi for all the recipes & tips posted here.
    Hope you are enoying motherhood! Cheers!

  53. Hi! Shilpa,
    Congratulationas for best Five! I didnt any of such type of blog, but when I saw your blog I got surprised! Its amazing & lovely. I also am fond of cooking and alwase try sth new for my daughter. I tried your recipies for her (specially sambar) & she liked it. Thanku for these recipies.

    Swati.

  54. Hello shilpa….

    congrats… i have been reading your blog for sometime.. but i have recommended your blog to lot of my newly married frndz….
    Your blog has such beautiful pic and easy to follow steps ….

    Good Work… keep it going 🙂

    Cheers,
    Shilpa.

  55. Dr. M.G.Kamath

    Hi Shilpa,
    Thanks for this monumental task of building a huge castle of recipes over these 5 years. I have observed the building at all stages.
    The best I liked about aayisrecipes
    1.The choice of pictures : the pictures are worth a thousand words in every recipe.
    2.Background information: for example I see the tree where kokkum grows before talking about the kokkam kadi (solkadi)

    May God bless you to continue to expand the castle in all directions. Let it emit aroma all around!
    Dr. Manjeshwar Ganesha Kamath

  56. hey Shilpa,

    First of all Congratulations for stepping into 5th yr…. I love your blog this is a nice effort from u keep going so that even i can get some credit from my family for a great dish ;)Cheers

  57. Congratulations Shilpa!! It really indeed is an achievement and I heartily appreciate all your efforts and dedication to keep trying and providing new recipes to us! Eagerly waiting to see more of your recipes! Cheers!

  58. Nagesh Kaikini

    Hello Shilpa and Varadamayi;

    Words fail. Congrats and Repeat all the encomiums given in 95 responses above AND SOME MORE. May you grow up and above.

  59. Anuradha Nayak

    Congratulations Shilpa and aayi !!! Hats off to all your efforts to try new recipes and maintain this blog. Waiting for more and more of your yummy posts.

  60. Amgeli Shilpa,

    Tumgele paanch varshache na-chukta aashile hey samaj seva ani tumgeli umedik saasthang namaskar. Tumka ani tumgele saha kutumbak shubh kaamana!! Tumka saglyank Devu bare karo ani asshi mast mast warsh tumka naveen naveen raandapa badal barochak madat jaavo. Ani aamka Ayi le raandaap karnu khavachak madat kelya baddal deva kadein tumgele khaatir maagun gheta.

    Namaskar,

    Geeta.

  61. Hey Shilpa,

    Congratulations on what you have achieved… Praises & well wishes from around the world. Kudos to your enthusiasm and not to mention culinary skills!

    I like how you have kept this blog clean and focussed on cooking.This isnt a career, yet its very professional. And I need not praise the taste of recipes tried from your blog, Aayi’s.. is top Indian food blog I have known of.

    Keep up this wonderful work. God Bless!

  62. Dear Shilpa,

    I am residing in Dubai ,hardly took interest in cooking apart from some Tandoori dishes as special dishes during college days,sine i shifted to Dubai I used to miss my moms cooking a lot ,and trust me your blog is perfect for me ,lovely stuff and have tried many receipes from your blogs,reading the receipe names in kannada feels wonderful,keep up the good work,since i am on leave now m trying your soup receipe for my 3 yr old son cheers Sheetal.

  63. Hi Shilpa,

    Congrats!

    Fabulous stuff. I had bookmarked your blog/site over a year ago and visit it once a week to try out your recipes which are interesting and turn out super!

    All the Best!

    Milind

  64. Congratultions on continuing breakless effort in documenting Konkani as well as other delicious dishes. I wish you to continue for many years to come. I request if you could make iPhone/iPad apps for konkani food.

  65. congrats dear.. I ve tried few recipes of yours and I have always left a comment. I appreciate your dedication to this blog because I know how much time and effort it takes, that too when you are a working mother. I ve been following you since 2007 when I was pregnant. Now my younger brother whose working and who never knew a word about cooking follows it!Keep up the good work! Three cheers to you. Hip hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip hurray!

  66. Hi Shilpa,
    Congratulations !!!! I like your blog so much….Thanks for taking so much pain to maintain this blog but is worth it. You are literally teaching many of us how to cook various kinds of recipes.

    Lucky.

  67. Hey Shilpa,

    First of all Congrats for completing 5 years… 😀 that’s quite some time.. I recently started reading your blog after coming to UK… as i started missing home made food or u can say Indian food, I started to search Google for recipes and there I found your blog.. And since then I have tried many dishes that you have posted and they turn out good.. All thanks to u..

    Keep on updating this site with loads of recipes… My best wishes to you.. :):)

    Thanks,
    Priyesh

  68. Hi.

    Shilpa congratulations!!!!!!! 🙂

    Thanks a lot for your wonderful receips….. keep on updating…

    Take care 🙂

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