Maneet Chauhan

“A lot of people are still very afraid of spice. A lot of them don't know how to use the full potential of spice. I hope to make them more comfortable using spice and able to add it to their cooking.”

“In India, the perception of a woman in a restaurant kitchen was that she wouldn't make it.”

“I wanted my daughter to look up to me.”

“One of the biggest things about being an entrepreneur is discovering your own management style. You can learn from others and try to emulate what they are doing, but at the end of the day, your inherent personality - how you deal with events and situations - comes to the forefront.”

“Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and, in my opinion, the best place to visit. It is an amazing hub of history. It's called the Pink City because all the architecture has a hint of pink in the stones used. It's an amazing stop for all kinds of food but also for history and shopping. It has a little bit of everything.”

“Every time I look at both of my children, I see a future which is very bright for them, and I recognize that I need to be a role model. If they see me as someone who can achieve whatever I want, I believe that they will follow in my footsteps, and that is something that I strive for every single day.”

“When I was in India, I felt like being a full-time chef was a very unique career path. It was quite the contrast from the traditional fields like engineering and medicine and not necessarily considered a full time profession.”

“For my first restaurant, I wanted to do something very special and close to my heart. Nashville felt like the place.”

“There is a standing joke in my family that I was born with a ladle in my hand.”

“As soon as you enter Rajasthan, you are hit with colors. It's such a sensory experience. You see women in bright pink and yellow saris, camels pulling carts, historic forts - history on each and every corner.”

“I love Pushkar because of the Pushkar Fair, which happens every fall - it's this camel festival, with ornately-dressed camels, camel races. But the reason I truly love this city is the Hindu mythology behind it.”

“Summer chutneys, to me, are those that are light and usually involve almost no cooking.”

“I believe in myself. I also believe in the people around me, who are my support system, and knowing that they are there for me makes me stronger and more ready to fight the world.”

“A very important part of life is growth - I need to learn things every day.”

“Indian spices can find a place in any cuisine. It's just a matter of opening your mind and palate to new flavors.”

“Pizza is a great segue into unfamiliar flavors - plus, you can pile on the veggies.”

“Southern India has an abundance of coconut, so the coconut chutney hails from there. Eastern India Bengal produces mustard oil, which is used in its traditional tomato chutney.”

“Mannu - in Punjabi, it means 'mine.' My parents would call me that.”

“I literally just do whatever I want to do.”

“I usually always cook all the chutneys that I serve in the winter.”