Santosh Bangar wins Hyderabad round of The Hindu’s ‘Our State Our Taste’ culinary competition

Santosh Bangar wins The Hindu's culinary competition with traditional Telangana dishes, advancing to grand finale in Hyderabad.

Santosh Bangar triumphed as the winner in the preliminary round of The Hindu’s ‘Our State Our Taste’ culinary competition, held at Madhura Banquet Hall, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, on Sunday.

Participants at the competition were encouraged to either present their best traditional dishes or add a modern twist to timeless recipes, resulting in a showcase of high culinary skill and creativity. Each dish highlighted the authentic flavours of Telangana using Aashirvaad Masala Karam, making the judges’ task of selecting winners particularly challenging. The competition seeks to identify the top culinary talents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Santosh Bangar impressed the judges with her exceptional preparation of eight dishes, including lauki paneer biryani, kheer, qubani ka meetha, flatter beans, Patti steamed fry egg and more, all staples of Telangana cuisine. She will now advance to the grand finale in Hyderabad on July 13, where winners will be awarded cash prizes of ₹75,000, ₹50,000 and ₹25,000 for first, second and third place respectively. Mohd Faiyaz was named the first runner-up and Pragati Garimella secured the second runner-up position.

The judges panel, comprising celebrity chefs ETV Raju and Chinnam Raju, and Chef Swamynath, evaluated dishes based on taste, texture, flavour and presentation. The event was a resounding success, celebrating the rich culinary heritage of Telangana and providing a platform for aspiring chefs to display their talents.

Prizes were distributed by Srikanth P., Zonal Head of The Hindu Telangana; Akhilendra, Area Executive, Aashirvaad Masala Karam; Naresh, Sales Officer, Parry’s Dal and Pulses; Srikanth, Senior Sales Officer Telangana, RKG Ghee; Rafi Mohammed, Sales Manager, Bambino Pasta/Vermicelli; P. Santhosh Kumar, Store Manager, CMR Shopping Mall; and Datatri, Manager, GRT Jewellers.

The competition is presented by Aashirvaad Masala Karam, powered by Parry’s Dal/Pulses, in association with RKG Ghee and Bambino. CMR Shopping Mall is the Textiles Partner, GRT Jewellers is the Jewellery Partner, Amazon Fresh is the Grocery Partner and Raju’s Food Art is the Knowledge Partner.