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Photo:Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
If you’re a fan ofChopped, then you know and love one of the show’s most prominent judges, Maneet Chauhan. The Food Network star and well-versed chef has been in the food industry for decades, so when we received the opportunity for an exclusive interview with her, it was a no-brainer.
Through a recent partnership withTasty Bite, the maker of flavorful, microwaveable curries, dals, rice blends and more, we chatted with Chauhan all about her favorite products. Plus, the chef spilled on her pantry must-haves, her holiday traditions and her favorite comforting soup that she makes from Thanksgiving leftovers.
EatingWell:What are your top three pantry staples that you always have on hand?
EatingWell:Do you have any holiday traditions or food that you’re looking forward to?
Chauhan:The fun part about the holiday cooking for me is that I always put my Indian twist on it. Like turkey tikka masala roulade, or all the traditional fixings always have an Indian twist to it. For example, I make Beans Poriyal, which is green beans with coconut and peanuts. My cranberry chutney is made with five-spice, ginger and orange in it. Thanksgiving is not an Indian holiday, but when I first came over to the U.S., I just fell in love with the emphasis that was given to food and togetherness. That, to me, is what food is all about. It is the ability to bring people together.
Tasty Bite
EatingWell:Favorite soup for comfort-food season?
Chauhan:My favorite soup is, I call it “the day after Thanksgiving soup,” which is pretty much everything that is left over and it goes in with a lot of lentils and beans because that gives it the foundation. But also now that I live in Nashville, I put a lot of Southern greens in it. So be it mustard greens, collard greens. And I do not skimp on the heat, especially when it’s chilly outside. That, I think, is the ultimate comfort soup to me.
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EatingWell:Let’s talk about your partnership with Tasty Bite! What inspired you to partner with them?
Chauhan:I came to this country in ‘98, and since that time, people have constantly been telling me that Indian food is not approachable. Or that it’s so difficult to make you have to go to a restaurant to have it. So the first time that I tasted Tasty Bite was when my sister had gotten it. She’s not the best of cooks, so I was eating it, and I’m like, “This is so delicious, did you become a chef?” And she’s like, “No, I’m using this product,” which was Tasty Bite’s Madras Lentils. I think from that time, the taste, the authenticity of Tasty Bite is something that really inspired me to partner with them. There is pride in Indian food and you can taste it in each and every bite of Tasty Bite.
EatingWell:What does “eating well” mean to you?
Chauhan:A lot of people think that at times, eating well means that I can’t have oils or I can’t have fat or I can’t have gluten. To me, I think as long as your meal is well balanced and it is within a certain proportion, that is eating well. Also to me, eating well is eating according to the season because the vegetables and the produce are available in a particular season for a reason.
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