Not entirely sure why I’m talking about myself in third person, BUT YES, I had my day-time TV debut on the NBC’s TODAY Show on Monday September 21st! I showcased how to use cauliflower in 3 ways – all vegan, all original, and all Indian-inspired! This is a MAJOR milestone for Chef Priyanka (there I go again with the 3rd person reference), because I’ve never been on day-time LIVE TV before! It is a completely different feeling and experience as compared to my Food Network debut in 2017 and my Quibi debut in 2020. Why? Because there are SO many American households that have day-time TV ON! Actually, way more than I thought (based on the # of messages I received of people being pleasantly surprised by me popping up on their TV, LOL!).

So how was my experience? Well, let’s start at the beginning. Considering we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, when NBC reached out to me (yes I know !!!), I knew it would have to be a self-shoot. And that is what I did! Those of you who have been following me for a while know that I do a ton of self-shoots – who am I kidding – ALL of my content (still, videos, shorts, everything) are all self-shot! I live alone and do not have a spouse, so everything I do is on my own (I sound like a loner or incredibly independent, let’s go with the latter). But I knew this would be different. The stakes were much higher – this wasn’t just going to be a regular ole’ video sitting on the Chef Priyanka social platforms – this was going to be on national TV LIVE!

I had to film two continuous videos within a specific time-frame. Think about that. I have to cook, talk, and all that jazz continuously with zero editing. So before shooting, I basically stood in front of my camera phone doing “fake” takes just to ensure I get it right! It was surely awkward, but necessary (and I am the self-proclaimed queen of awkward)! Everyone has their own process, but this was mine. I also happen to work well under pressure (go figure).

So what was the result? Well, what you see above! I was on the TODAY show for nearly FIVE minutes showcasing two of my original vegan Indian-inspired recipes , with a third recipe on 3rd Hour of Today! I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to showcase my recipes, my culture, and of course my personality! THANK YOU ALL!

Three Recipes Developed:

Whole Roasted Turmeric & Fennel Seed Cauliflower with Basmati Rice

Cauliflower Pita Pockets with Scallion Tahini Sauce

Not Fried Gobi Manchurian