Priya Lakshminarayan is the recipe developer, food stylist, photographer, and author behind Cookilicious - a vibrant platform celebrating vegetarian and vegan cooking rooted in Indian tradition and global inspiration. Born and raised in Mumbai, Priya has been sharing her love of plant-based cooking since 2014, and has been featured in national print, digital, and broadcast media as a trusted voice in vegetarian and Indian cuisine.
Food Network's 100 Cooks
Recently, Priya Lakshminarayan earned her spot as contestant #47 on Food Network's 100 Cooks - the biggest home cook competition in television history, hosted by Terry Crews and judged by culinary heavyweights Alex Guarnaschelli and Nick DiGiovanni. Priya brought her Mumbai and South Indian roots along with her lifelong passion for vibrant vegetarian cooking to the national stage, vying for a chance to win $250,000.
Watch the series on Food Network, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max.
"Named among the Top 10 Indian Food Bloggers - a go-to source for accessible, flavorful vegetarian cooking."- Zoutons
Featured Highlights
Top Features
- Won Best Sunday Morning Breakfast Dish on Food Network's biggest show - 100 Cooks
- Costco Connection - Featured article + Diwali dessert recipe (September 2022) - Page 36
- BuzzFeed - Recipe roundups and viral plant-based content
- CN Traveler (India) - 15 Healthy Indian Snack Recipes
- One Green Planet - Viral Vegan Recipes (November 2021)
- Brit + Co - Featured recipes and vegetarian cooking content
- MSN - Recipe syndication and food features
- Houston Press - Featured food blog and recipe content
- FeedFeed - Featured contributor and recipe curator
- Honest Cooking - Featured recipe contributor
- Amazon Alexa - Recipe integration via SideChef partnership
- FEMEST - In Conversation with Priya Lakshminarayan
- Zardozi Magazine - Recipe Feature
- Four Columns of a Balanced Life - Cookilicious - All the Way
- Zoutons - Top 10 Indian Food Bloggers
As seen in:
Also seen in Food Network, FeedFeed, BuzzFeed, Simply Recipes, Honest Cooking, HuffPost, MSN, CN Traveller, local community magazines, and more.
Television & Video Appearances
- Food Network 100 Cooks - Contestant #47
- Fox 13 Tampa Bay Dinner Deas - Live cooking segment
- WFLA News Channel 8 Live TV appearance featuring Cookilicious recipes and Food Network debut.
Podcasts & Audio Features
- Plant Based on Fire Building a Brand Around Flavor: The Power of Content Creation & Community - Real Men Eat Plants Podcast Network
- Eat Blog Talk Episode #089: Bring Recipes From History To Life - discussing how food conjures memory, emotion, and the art of preserving generational recipes
Awards, Honors & Recognition
🏆 Best Recipe Blogger
South Florida Blogger Awards, 2019
🌟 Top 10 Indian Food Bloggers
Recognized by Zoutons
📖 Cookbook Author
The Essential Vegan Indian Cookbook - published and available on Amazon
🎙️ Amazon Alexa Integration
Recipes featured via SideChef on Amazon Alexa devices nationwide
Culinary Experiences & Education
- Italy Food Photography WorkshopAttended an immersive food photography workshop in Tuscany - cooking, learning, and shooting in a Tuscan villa.
Media & Collaborations
For interviews, features, brand partnerships, recipe development, or speaking opportunities, please contact Priya at contactthechef@cookilicious.com.