With her infectious smile and unparalleled flavors, Maneet Chauhan requires little introduction. The incomparable Indian-born culinary expert is a James Beard Award-winning chef, a restaurateur, an author, a philanthropist and a beloved television personality. She has become a familiar face on Food Network, where she’s spent the last decade as a regular judge on Chopped and a fierce competitor on fan-favorite shows, including Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, The Great Food Truck Race, Outchef’d and most recently as a team leader on BBQ Brawl Season 6.

History and Background

Maneet was born and raised in Punjab, India. Her passion for cooking began during her childhood. “I grew up in a small town in India where people from all different regions lived. The food we ate at home was typical Punjabi food, but my neighbors cooked many different regional cuisines,” Maneet shared in an interview with Saveur. “I would walk into their kitchens and claim my parents hadn’t fed me. As I got older, the neighbors would ask me over to help cook dinner.”

Her professional culinary journey began when she graduated at the top of her class from India’s foremost culinary school, WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration. Her prestigious education opened doors, and she went on to intern at some of India’s most elite kitchens and hotels, including Le Meridian, Oberoi Hotels and Taj Group.

After these internships, Maneet traveled to the United States and attended The Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated with honors (again!) and earned all awards in her class.

She landed her first executive chef role in Chicago, where she beat out 40 male applicants and became the executive chef at Vermilion at just 27 years old. Vermilion earned countless accolades during her time as executive chef, including Chicago Magazine’s Best New Restaurant, Wine Enthusiast’s Best New Restaurant in the US and Esquire’s Restaurant of the Month. She went on to open a second location in New York City and was nominated as the Best Import to New York by Time Out.

Maneet spent eight years leading Vermilion kitchens in Chicago and New York City, then branched out on her own and founded Indie Culinaire, an avant-garde culinary and hospitality company. Indie Culinaire provides clients access to celebrity chefs, caterers, event planners, photographers, artisanal spirits companies and acclaimed floral designers to produce exceptional events of all sizes.

Family Life

Maneet lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband of 18 years, Vivek Deora, and their two children, Shagun and Karma. When the couple isn’t traveling the world with their kiddos, they’re working as co-founders of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville.

Maneet's Food Network Shows

Maneet is a Food Network mainstay. The multitalented chef is a regular judge on Chopped and has appeared on several Food Network shows in various roles, including Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, The Great Food Truck Race, Worst Cooks in America, Chopped All-Stars, The Next Iron Chef and more.

Tournament of Champions

Maneet stepped away from her regular spot at the Chopped judges’ table and jumped into the Tournament of Champions kitchen to compete in Seasons 2 and 5. In each season, she used her talent and grit to edge out her competition in head-to-head culinary battles. The driven and dynamic chef was named winner not once but twice, and she took home a total of $175,000 as her prize.

BBQ Brawl

Viewers can savor Maneet’s competitive spirit and fiery cooking skills as she competes against acclaimed chefs Bobby Flay and Antonia Lofaso as a team leader on BBQ Brawl. Team Maneet includes four motivated and talented pitmasters: Jason Dady, Alexandra Donnadio, Greg Gatlin and Arturo Ramon. “This season, with my spices and my Indian techniques, I’m here to compete, and competing means winning — no other option," she says.

Maneet's Eats

Join Maneet at the market and in her kitchen as she re-creates her signature, flavor-packed Indian dishes on this Food Network digital original. The show consists of quick 10-minute episodes where Maneet shares traditional family flavors and offers professional insight from decades of working in competition and fine-dining kitchens. From unparalleled pork vindaloo and chicken biryani to top-tier chicken tikka masala, Maneet’s Eats provides step-by-step recipes to help you master Indian cuisine at home.

Maneet's Restaurants

Although she kicked off her career heading kitchens in Chicago and NYC, Maneet has moved her talents (and unmatched tikka masala!) down south. She’s spicing up the culinary scenes in Nashville and Orlando with her restaurants Chauhan Ale & Masala House and Eet by Maneet Chauhan and beer park Hop Springs.

Chauhan Ale & Masala House

Maneet opened her first restaurant, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, in 2014. As co-founder and executive chef, she has curated a dynamic menu for the Nashville restaurant that combines her Indian roots with soulful, Southern flavors woven throughout the Music City culinary scene. The menu offers mouthwatering dishes, including Maneet’s signature coriander salmon, masala rib eye and tamarind lamb chops, plus inventive appetizers like lamb keema nachos and tandoori poutine.

Eet by Maneet Chauhan

Eet by Maneet Chauhan is a love letter to Indian cuisine nestled into one of the most magical places on earth — Florida's Disney Springs! The menu is woven with Indian flavors from various regions, providing an unforgettable dining experience that appeals to all the senses. Dig into Maneet’s flavor-packed dishes, including bread service with pimento whipped paneer, DIY pani puri, chicken tikka naan flatbread and samosa chopped salad. Better still, you can build your own bowl with a turmeric or cumin rice base and your choice of tandoori chicken, paneer tikka, basil cilantro shrimp or masala roasted cauliflower kebabs. And for dessert? Gulab jamun (rose berry) cheesecake.

Hop Springs Beer Park

Along with her Indian eateries, Maneet is also co-owner of Hop Springs Beer Park, located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The 84-acre park features an on-site taproom and serves as a community hub for live music, comedy shows, seasonal fairs, food festivals and more. In 2020, Maneet launched a craft beer at Hop Springs called Hospitality Strong to raise money for hospitality workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maneet's Philanthropic Work

Maneet is passionate about philanthropic work and has prioritized giving back to her community throughout her culinary career. One of the most notable examples of her generous spirit is her founding of the nonprofit organization Hospitality Strong in March 2020 to support hospitality workers during the COVID crisis. Maneet also created a craft beer at her Murfreesboro beer park, Hop Springs, named after her organization to raise additional money for the cause. She also donated $40,000 from her Tournament of Champions Season 2 winnings to help Nashville restaurants during the pandemic.

In 2025, Maneet joined the board of directors of The Trotter Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to help interested creatives pursue culinary arts, hospitality and agriculture through educational scholarships, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Maneet's Cookbooks

Fun Facts About Maneet

• Her birthday is October 27, making her a Scorpio.
• In an interview with Saveur, Maneet shared that her son, Karma, was born three months early and joined their family on November 18, 2014 — which just so happens to be the day that she opened her first restaurant, Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville, Tennessee. “We joke that we had twins on November 18.”
• She was the first and only Indian woman to compete in Iron Chef.
• Her signature saturated chef jackets are custom-made by her husband’s aunt in India.
• She was named on Nashville Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list.

Maneet's Recipes