‘Our State, Our Taste’, The Hindu’s prestigious culinary competition, which not only celebrated Karnataka’s rich culinary heritage but also provided a platform for aspiring chefs to shine and showcase their culinary prowess, found a winner on Saturday during the finale at the RC Royal Hotel in the city.
The first place was bagged by Sneha Patnakar from Hubballi, the second place by Gururaj S. from Mysuru, and the third place was bagged by D. Laxmamma from Ramanagara. The winner of the competition received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, while the first and second runners-up received ₹60,000 and ₹40,000, respectively.
Celebrity chef duo ‘Oggarane Dabbi’ Murali and his wife, Suchitra Murali, judged the contestants. “This is a great opportunity provided by The Hindu where home cooks were encouraged to showcase their talent. This is the true Master Chef of Karnataka, a platform for showcasing culinary skills. These contestants have nothing to lose; they have already achieved recognition just by reaching this stage,” Mr. Murali said. He was particularly impressed by the contestants’ commitment to using local ingredients and showcasing regional delicacies. “This programme provided a stage to display our culture and cooking style,” he added.
‘Our State, Our Taste’ embarked on a journey across 24 cities, spanning Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and, for the first time, Karnataka this year.
Among the contestants, Dr. Gururaj from Mysuru expressed his gratitude for the programme, which, he said, boosted his confidence in cooking. He mentioned his extensive preparations, including watching global cookery shows, practising daily, and studying numerous cookbooks.
Ashwini Malaghan, an English lecturer from Belagavi, learned to cook from her family and honed her skills through practice and research. She thanked The Hindu Group for organising such an event and recognising her talent.
Vindhya, a contestant from Koppal, said, “We are all winners here, and witnessing the cooking talent of others has been a joy.”
The event was presented by Gold Winner, with RKG Ghee as the co-presenting partner, Butterfly as the powered-by partner, and Aashirvaad, Parry’s, and Everest Masala as the in-association with sponsors. Bambino is the vermicelli partner, and the TV partner is Siri Kannada.
