I have the 3 F's - Family, Food, and Faith in yourself.
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.
I love working in the kitchen, but when that's the only thing you're doing, you have a very myopic view.
This may sound corny, but I really admire my husband, Vivek Deora, as a businessman because I am amazed by how he conducts business internationally.
Becoming the first Indian woman to compete on Food Network's 'Iron Chef' and 'Next Iron Chef' was really a great accomplishment and led to my spot as a judge on 'Chopped.'
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.
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.
For my first restaurant, I wanted to do something very special and close to my heart. Nashville felt like the place.
The rich diversity of the cuisine in Nashville is something that I'm incredibly proud of, and I think Tansuo will find a worthy place in Music City's culinary landscape.
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.
Summer chutneys, to me, are those that are light and usually involve almost no cooking.
I usually always cook all the chutneys that I serve in the winter.
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.
The crown of lamb has always been a quintessential Christmas dish, and growing up in India, we would read about lamb when learning about the holiday.
Restaurants are a much easier way to introduce Americans to a culture than getting them into museums.
I make a Bloody Mary at home with a dash of fish sauce, a little bit of coconut, and some lime juice. It gives the cocktail some South Asian flair.
Nashville is coming up to be an amazing foodie city.
Every time I come to India - where I have grown up - if I spent 20 years in this country, I will never be able to uncover all of the hidden jewels.
I love animals, but I don't think I can have pets.
Mannu - in Punjabi, it means 'mine.' My parents would call me that.
