Winner will appear in Taste of Home magazine, cook with Carla Hall, and take home $25,000
My food tells stories rooted in South Indian culture, crafted with love using plant-based ingredients & served creatively at Vittle Vibes.
You decide who will appear in Taste of Home magazine, and win $25,000!
Want to learn more about our competition?
Learn MoreWant to be notified if their position changes?
Receive Text Updates
My signature dish is Loaded Samosa Chaat, a vibrant Indian-inspired plant-based fusion. Crispy samosas are broken and loaded with flavorful chickpeas, spiced potatoes, fresh chutneys, and bold spices from my roots. Crunchy, sweet, savory, and entirely vegan, it captures my journey: transforming traditional street food into a creative, shareable explosion of flavors that brings joy and comfort. This crowd-favorite at Vittle Vibes tells the story of my culture, love, and creativity on one plate.
Who is your culinary inspiration?My greatest culinary inspiration is my mother and grandmother from Karnataka, South India. Watching them transform simple, fresh ingredients into fragrant, soul-satisfying vegetarian meals taught me that food is love, culture, and creativity on a plate. Their intuitive use of spices, lentils, and seasonal produce shaped my plant-based philosophy.This foundation drives me at Vittle Vibes to honor tradition while innovating accessible, vibrant Indian-fusion dishes that bring joy and connection.
What would you do with the $25,000?With the $25,000 prize, I would grow Vittle Vibes in Austin: launching a pop-up kitchen and hosting more community cooking classes on plant-based South Indian cuisine. Funds would also support my new recipe book on crowd-favorite foods I’ve made and grew up with. This would help me scale my mission of making healthy, flavorful, culturally rooted vegan food accessible while honoring my Karnataka family legacy and inspiring others. 😇🫶
Vote for Poornima Omkant Noubad to be the next Favorite Chef while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote below, or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting the James Beard Foundation and their mission to lead chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence.
