Nov. 15: Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor Hosts 1st Annual Varli Culinary Awards with Co-hosts Manu Narayan and Pooja Kumar in New York

Manu Narayan Photo by Lia Chang

After much-acclaimed success with Varli Magazine, the Varli Food Festival, and the Varli Cook-Off, the Varli brand continues to expand its reach with the first annual Varli Culinary Awards on November 15, 2012, at The Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St. in New York.

The evening will be hosted by internationally acclaimed Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, along with Bombay Dream star Manu Narayan (The Love Guru), fresh from his electrifying turn as Richard Roma in La Jolla Playhouse’s revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, and Pooja Kumar (Vishwaroop, Man on A Ledge).

Vikas Khanna (Photo by Lia Chang)

The highly esteemed panel of judges includes celebrity judges, renowned food correspondents, and culinary experts such as Vikas Khanna, Jehangir Mehta, Monica Bhide, Rajesh Bhardwaj, Prasad Chirnomula, Hari Nayak.

This revolutionary concept will be the first global awards event honoring the best culinary talent in an array of categories related to Indian cuisine. “It was time to give credit where credit’s due. We really wanted to recognize and applaud the contributions and amazing achievements of Indian chefs, restaurateurs, and key influencers on the international culinary stage,” says Varli Singh, founder of the Varli brand.

In continuation of Varli’s mission to universally promote Indian cuisine, contestants spaning the U.S., India, Middle East, and Europe will compete in numerous categories including “Best Chef of the Year”, “Best Cookbook”, and “Best Restaurant”. Awards are divided into three different types based on the complexity of judging, and competitiveness of the contestant pool: “People’s Choice” categories (voting began on July 04, 2012), categories determined by a ‘Live Competition and/or a “Panel of Judges” and “Varli’s Choice”. There will also be a ‘Public Recipe Competition’ where amateur cooks from around the world can submit any original rice-based recipe (as a tribute to the event’s title sponsor, Indian Star Basmati Rice) for consideration and win the chance to participate in an exciting cook-off in front of culinary greats.

Varli has also partnered with Magic Bus, an India-based charity helping to change the lives of children through sports, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to this inspiring cause.

For more information on the awards, to vote for your favorite restaurant, or submit a recipe for the public contest, visit www.varliawards.com.

Varli Culinary Awards 2012
Thursday, November 15th, 2012
5 P.M – 10 P.M
The Altman Building
135 W. 18th Street
(between 6th and 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10011