Pavi’s Welcome Curry – The Soulful Beginning of a Food Blog Journey

Quote for the Recipe:

Every flavorful journey begins with a single spoonful – welcome to the heart of Indian cooking with Pavi’s Welcome Curry!

👋 Introduction:

    Welcome to Pavi’s Food Tales, a space where recipes meet memories, and spices carry the weight of generations. My blog didn’t start with a loud announcement — it began quietly, almost anonymously, under the name Exploring Cooking Food. I didn’t use my real name out of humility… and fear. But with time, this space evolved into something deeply personal and purposeful. It became Pavi’s Welcome Curry — not a literal dish, but a symbolic representation of my first blog post. Like a pot of slow-simmering curry, this blog has been enriched with layers of flavor, emotion, and tradition. If you're new here, you may enjoy my actual recipes like Karupatti Pongal, which share similar warmth.

    Back then, I wasn’t ready to claim my name. But I knew I had stories to share — food from my grandmother’s kitchen, health tips passed down through generations, and the vibrant essence of South Indian cooking. I poured these into my first post. Over time, readers from all walks of life — even doctors in the US and UK medical fields — connected with my content. They appreciated the depth, facts, and authenticity I was trying to preserve. Their words gave me something more nourishing than feedback — they gave me confidence. Just like a well-balanced rasam, their encouragement struck the right chord. For a soulful recipe with similar roots, check out my Traditional Lemon Rasam.

    With each post, I learned to own my story. I rebranded my blog to Pavi’s Food Tales, embracing the name I once hesitated to use. What began as an anonymous blog turned into a personal, trusted space where culture meets kitchen. Every recipe I share — from Foxtail Millet Pongal to Samosa Puff Pastry Bites — carries a piece of this journey. And this post, my symbolic Welcome Curry, remains the heart of it all.

    This isn’t just a food blog. It’s a reflection of my roots, my growth, and my ongoing learning. It’s for home cooks, food lovers, and anyone who finds joy in storytelling through recipes. So whether you’re here for a nostalgic rasam or a modern twist like Chili Garlic Pulao, you’re part of this journey now. Let this Welcome Curry be your first taste — warm, humble, and full of promise.

The Story Behind Pavi’s Food Tales

🌱 The Anonymous Beginning:

    Pavi’s Food Tales didn’t always have a name — at least not one I was proud of. When I published my first post in August 2023, I was simply Exploring Cooking Food — a quiet, unbranded identity. I had no grand strategy or personal branding. I was hesitant, unsure whether anyone would care. But I had stories to tell — about food, family, and the flavors that shaped me. That anonymous start became the seed from which everything else grew.

🔗 Source: ProBlogger – 5 Keys to Writing Excellent Blog Posts

🧡 Guided by Grandmothers and Gut Feelings:

    The heart of my blog has always been my family’s kitchen. My grandmother’s spice blends, my mother’s Ayurvedic food remedies, the Sunday meals that soothed more than just hunger — all of it found its way into my writing. These weren’t just recipes; they were rituals. And even though my early posts were simple, readers could feel the legacy. It’s why many began trusting my posts for verified tips, health facts, and flavor accuracy.

🔗 Source: Scroll.in – Everyday Indian Food and Its Uncelebrated Legacy

🌿 A Quiet Start with Bold Intentions:

    When I started blogging, I wasn’t looking for fame or followers. I simply wanted to create a digital space where cultural recipes and wellness wisdom could live on. I didn’t have professional gear or branding strategies. I just had a notebook of handwritten recipes, passed down from my mother and grandmother, and a deep respect for their knowledge. Even without fanfare, my intentions were bold — to preserve and pass on recipes that deserved more than silence.

🔗 Source: The Guardian – How Food Blogs Preserve Family Traditions

📚 Cultural Depth Over Clickbait

    In an online world full of trending food hacks, I chose a different path. I wanted depth, not just dishes. Every recipe I shared came with its story — whether it was the Ayurvedic reasoning behind ingredients or the festive significance of a spice blend. Readers noticed. From India to the UK and the US, they messaged me to say they learned something new, not just how to cook something fast. That’s when I realized that truth-telling in food was my unique flavor.

🔗 Source: Bon Appétit – Food Writing That Honors Cultural Roots

🌍 When Strangers Became Encouragers

    One of the most touching moments in my blogging journey was receiving comments from professionals in completely different fields — especially medical experts from abroad. They appreciated the way I backed traditional recipes with wellness logic and cultural context. Their words reminded me that truth connects across borders. Even when I didn’t use my name, people saw my heart through the food I shared.

🔗 Source: BBC – How Cultural Food Blogging Builds Global Bridges

🎯 Claiming My Voice, One Post at a Time

    After a few months, I realized I no longer needed to hide behind “Exploring Cooking Food.” I had grown — not just in skills, but in self-belief. That’s when I rebranded to Pavi’s Food Tales. I chose a name that reflected both me and my mission: to tell stories through recipes. It wasn’t just a technical change; it was emotional. It felt like stepping into my own kitchen and saying, “Yes, I belong here.”

🔗 Source: ProBlogger – When to Rebrand Your Blog and Why

✨ More Than Just Recipes — A Lifestyle of Learning

    With every blog post, I wasn’t just teaching others—I was learning too. I learned how to write better, structure content, understand SEO, and photograph food beautifully. But beyond all that, I learned discipline, patience, and pride in the small details. I understood that food blogging isn’t just about cooking; it’s about caring for culture, for quality, and for the reader’s trust.

🔗 Source: Food Blogger Pro – What Food Blogging Teaches You About Life

🌟 From One Post to a Culinary Legacy

    That first post — my symbolic “Welcome Curry” — was the doorway to everything. Since then, I’ve written over 150 blog posts, created a cookbook, started a store, and reached thousands of readers. But I always come back to that moment when I clicked “publish” for the first time. It reminds me of where I started and why I started. Because food isn’t just nourishment — it’s memory, meaning, and message.

🔗 Source: Taste Cooking – Why Your First Blog Post Still Matters

⏳ The Time It Took to Build My Blogging Kitchen

    Building Pavi’s Food Tales wasn’t an overnight task. It took me over 5 to 6 months to understand how to build a food blog into a proper structure — both technically and emotionally.

In the beginning, everything felt unfamiliar:

• How to customize a theme
• Where to place images
• What kind of SEO mattered
• How to balance storytelling with structure

    There were times when I’d spend hours just trying to fix a layout or re-upload an image because it didn’t match my vision. I didn’t have a team. I learned every single step on my own.

    From editing HTML and choosing fonts to selecting a blog name that felt like me, every choice was a learning curve — and every learning curve was worth it. Because with every mistake, I was getting closer to building something that felt authentic.

    Today, Pavi’s Food Tales isn’t just a food blog. It’s a space handcrafted with patience, persistence, and pride. And behind every page is the memory of that journey.

🧠 From Zero Coding to a Fully Cooked Blog Layout

    When I started, I had no knowledge of coding — not even the basics. But my passion for food blogging pushed me to explore beyond recipes. I spent countless nights researching Blogger tutorials, HTML tips, and layout editing tricks from scratch.

From adjusting post thumbnails and modifying sidebars to customizing widgets and meta tags — every inch of my blog layout is the result of endless trial and error.

✨ This blog is not just about food; it’s about fearless learning.

    Today, this layout you see — the fonts, the recipe card styling, the headers, even the comment box placement — everything was built by me through self-taught customization. No designer. No coder. Just curiosity and commitment.

💬 So, dear reader… how does my layout look to you? I'd love your honest feedback in the comments!

🧂 Ingredients of My Journey

    Every food recipe has its own set of key ingredients. Similarly, my blogging journey was built on simple yet powerful elements that made Pavi’s Food Tales what it is today.

• Curiosity: I didn’t know coding, SEO, or formatting—but I wanted to learn everything. That hunger to figure things out became my foundation.
• Family Legacy: The recipes I post come from a deep well of ancestral knowledge, especially from my mother and grandmother, who taught me both traditional cooking and the value of wellness through food.
• Fear and Humility: In the beginning, I hid behind the name Exploring Cooking Food. I was afraid—afraid to show up as myself. But that fear taught me humility and patience.
• Research: From blog layouts to recipe formats, everything you see here came from hours of searching, testing, and rebuilding.
• Support from Strangers: Readers from the US and UK started sending me appreciation messages. Some were from the medical field, admiring the health-conscious nature of my content.

    These were the emotional and practical ingredients that slowly stirred together to create my space on the internet.

🌱 Like a slow-cooked curry, this blog took time—but every element added its own flavor. 

🔥 Turning the Flame On – Publishing My First Post

    It was in 2023 that I finally hit "Publish" on my very first blog post. That post wasn’t just a recipe—it was a leap of faith. I didn’t use my real name. I didn’t know who would read it. I only knew one thing: I had to start.

    That first post marked the beginning of Exploring Cooking Food. It wasn't perfect. In fact, it was raw, unsure, and very simple. But it was real—from the way I wrote to the food I cooked. Every line, every image, every idea came from my kitchen, heart, and soul.

    Now in 2025, I’m revisiting that very post. I’ve grown. The blog has evolved. What started as an anonymous journey has transformed into Pavi’s Food Tales—a name I now wear proudly.

📝 This updated version of the blog isn’t just about improving content—it's about honoring how far I’ve come.

 🍛 Why I Call It “Welcome Curry”!

“I wanted to begin this journey not with a bang, but with a bowl — something simple, soulful, and full of meaning.”

    Your first blog post is your readers’ first spoonful of your world. “Welcome Curry” isn’t just a name. It’s the symbolic dish that opens the door to Pavi’s Food Tales — welcoming readers with warmth, depth, and tradition.

    Just like a curry that simmers slowly, your blog has been layered over time — adding spice, flavor, and soul. It’s the post that sets the tone. The one that says, “Here’s who I am. Here’s where we’re headed.”

    So no — this isn’t a “how to make” post. It’s a “why I made this blog” post.

📷 Behind the Scenes – A Blogger’s Life

    Building Pavi’s Food Tales was anything but easy. I had no technical background and absolutely no knowledge of coding — not even a basic HTML tag! But that didn’t stop me. I was determined to give my food blog a professional and warm look, one that matched the heart and heritage behind every recipe I share.

    For months — five to six, to be precise — I researched endlessly: from tweaking widgets, customizing sidebars, optimizing layouts, to editing meta tags. I read forum threads, watched tutorials, and failed more times than I can count. But with each mistake, I learned something new. Slowly, I began to shape the blog you see today.

    Every corner of this layout — every color, font, and section — is a result of my personal effort and vision. I didn’t hire a web developer or designer. This entire blog was handcrafted with love, perseverance, and deep curiosity.

    Now, I’d love to hear from you — what do you think of my blog layout? Is it visually appealing? Easy to navigate? Drop a comment and let me know! Your feedback means everything to me, because this isn’t just my space — it’s ours.

💬 A Note to My Readers

    To everyone reading this — whether you're a home cook, a foodie, a health-conscious eater, or someone just curious about Indian cuisine — thank you for being here.

    When I first published this post back in 2023, I had no idea it would become such an emotional milestone. Back then, I was still unsure, still figuring things out. But now, in 2025, I’m updating this post with pride and clarity — because this blog has grown, and so have I.

    Your encouragement — through comments, emails, and shares — has meant more than you know. Especially when readers from medical communities in the US and UK appreciated the ancestral health wisdom I shared from my grandmother and mother... it felt like my quiet efforts finally had a voice.

    I never imagined my little corner of the internet would reach so many hearts across the world. Whether you've been here since “Exploring Cooking Food” days, or you just discovered “Pavi’s Food Tales” — you’re part of my journey now.

    Let’s continue to explore, cook, learn, and celebrate food — together.

🎀 Wrapping It Up – A Journey Served with Heart

    What began as a nameless food diary has now blossomed into Pavi’s Food Tales — a blog built with passion, persistence, and purpose. From typing anonymously in 2023 to updating this post proudly in 2025, this journey has been filled with lessons, laughter, and a whole lot of learning.

    This isn’t just a place for recipes. It’s where traditions live on, health finds a flavorful voice, and stories are plated with care. It’s a reflection of who I am — shaped by my mother’s wisdom, my grandmother’s roots, and the community that believed in me even before I did.

    I may not have started with a grand plan, but today, every piece of this blog is a testament to growth, grit, and gratitude.

    So here’s to soulful dishes, shared memories, and many more flavorful tales to come.

📘 Explore More Recipes in My Book

    If you enjoyed reading about my blogging journey, you’ll absolutely love the recipes that inspired it! My Amazon KDP cookbook is filled with authentic and flavorful Indian dishes, all passed down from generations and perfected in my kitchen.

👉 Get your copy here on Amazon

    Your support means everything to me! After trying out the recipes, please consider leaving a review — your feedback inspires me and helps others discover the joy of Indian cooking.

🔗  Recipes and Cookbook

🌐 Read more recipes on my blog: Pavi’s Food Tales

📘 Discover traditional recipes in my cookbook: Exploring South Indian Flavors: A Culinary Journey

🛍️ Download digital recipe cards and printables: PavisFoodTales on Payhip

📲 Share the Love on Social Media!

    If this story inspired you or brought a smile to your face, please share it with your friends and fellow food lovers.

Tag me @PavisFoodTales and use #PavisWelcomeCurry — I’d love to see your thoughts and hear about your own food journey!

💖 With a Pinch of Love and a Dash of Dreams…

Thank you for being part of this flavorful journey.
Keep cooking, keep smiling, and keep coming back for more delicious tales.
Your presence means the world to me!