[flame sizzling]
[dramatic music]
Welcome to Celebrity MasterChef!
How do you feel?
I'm losing it a little.
[laughter]
Celebrities, let's go!
Hey!
[growling]
If I was you, Gaurav, I'd be really worried.
This is not MasterChef worthy, my brother.
- You can keep copying me. - Alright.
- Why am I partnered with him? - Alright. Alright.
Please don't waste time!
I am not wasting time.
Hey! No!
[tense music]
Last five minutes!
Last ten seconds!
[tense music]
Three.
- Two. - One!
[dramatic music]
Do you know what I like to do when I eat something so delicious?
[tapping]
[cheering]
Woah!
It's outstanding!
Taste, innovation, presentation.
100/100.
What happened?
For me, standing on this platform is to tell everybody
who keep telling me,
"Oh, you're just a home cook.
You just make food in the kitchen."
Yes, I am a home cook.
And thanks to that, I'm standing in the MasterChef kitchen today.
I cannot believe I'm standing here
right in between
India's most popular OG chefs,
Chef Vikas Khanna,
and Chef Ranveer Brar.
I want to tell you it's a honour and a privilege for me to be here.
Likewise.
And we are so happy to have
one of Bollywood's most celebrated director, choreographer,
and now a celebrated cook,
Farah, as a host for the first-ever Celebrity MasterChef.
This season is going to be completely different.
Because this season, we will host not home cooks,
but celebrity cooks!
So let's meet them!
Come on, guys! Celebrities, let's go!
[dramatic music]
[upbeat music]
[cheering]
[hooting]
First season of Celebrity MasterChef.
And I am a contestant this time.
As I walk inside...
Such a big hall!
It was a complete kitchen set-up.
[upbeat music]
Welcome!
[cheering]
Right now, I'm wearing the MasterChef apron.
And this apron says Tejasswi.
That is such a huge deal for me.
How do you feel?
I'm losing it a little.
[laughter]
- We haven't even started yet. - And I'm already losing it.
[laughter]
Both our chefs
- are quite - Caring?
- strict and stern! I want to tell you all. - Oh my God!
Strict?
[tense music]
They will pressurize you so much
that you will be airtight with tension this season.
And the way people have cheered for you outside, I hope
you took a lasting look at it.
India's first-ever
Celebrity MasterChef is happening right here.
Your stardom will
have no say in this kitchen.
[tense music]
Do you want to know today's challenge?
- Yes, we do! - Yes, please.
To find out your challenge,
you need to break this rock.
[tense music]
Faisu, come on.
I only see one muscular person in here.
You see why I've been dressed like this?
Oh!
[cheering]
This is
the legendary MasterChef mystery box.
- Oh! - Oh!
My God! What's going to happen?
4000-year-old mystery box challenge. Let's go!
Your challenge is
to use the ingredients found in a 4000-year-old dish, which was
recently discovered
during the excavation of an old Harappan civilization site,
to make an amazing dish.
[dramatic music]
Oh, man. I just remembered all the history lessons
I used to miss and now the history is staring at me
from the mystery box.
[tense music]
[screaming]
Eggplant.
Oh, man. I've never tasted eggplant in my life.
- God. - I can see Nikki sweating already.
Ma'am, you won't believe
but I don't even know what eggplants taste like.
What do you mean?
I've never eaten it.
Where did you live? Switzerland?
To be honest, I hate eggplants.
I don't have idea
how to cook it.
I was so sure that I was done for today.
The ingredients of a 4000-year-old curry were
turmeric, ginger,
eggplant,
salt,
raw mango,
sesame oil, and sugarcane.
I don't think these ingredients would go well together.
Today's challenge is
to use minimum of five ingredients
from the mystery box to
make a modern dish that
serves as a tribute to our ancestors.
I'm getting worried now.
Looks like my blood pressure is going to rise too.
I was thinking of what to make and how to make it.
Usually, we put out such difficult challenges in the third
or fourth week of MasterChef.
Absolutely.
We wanted to see what are you made of.
All of India is watching you.
For the first time,
there's not a common Indian home cook cooking in this kitchen.
This will be your first dish in the Celebrity MasterChef kitchen.
[tense music]
And let me give you all a reality check.
All of you, please remember,
you might be professionals of your own fields,
you might be celebs and stars
but in here,
there's only one celebrity.
[tense music]
The immunity pin.
[cheers and applause]
[hooting]
I want that.
This will be our first step towards the trophy.
I have to win that pin.
For today's 4000-year-old mystery box challenge,
you can use the mystery box ingredients
along with the support pantry.
You will be given the exact ancient conditions for cooking.
That means no electricity.
But instead of that,
you will get a mortar and pestle, grinding stones,
and all those appliances that work without electricity.
They are creating such pressure right on day one.
4000 years ago, they also had maids and servants.
Why can't we have those? That would've been a help.
Wait a minute. Rajiv, what is a grinding stone?
[indistinct]
- I don't know? What's that? - A grinding stone.
A rolling pin?
Yes, a rolling pin. Sure. You're correct.
No! It's used to grind spices.
Please give me the mixer! I don't know all this!
[laughter]
He's from London. They always had a mixer.
I will grind you on the stone now!
[laughter]
Ready?
On your marks.
'Get, set, cook!'
[upbeat music]
Where is it?
Why were you running here? Oh, the presentation item.
Come on! All the best, guys!
Mummy!
The challenge has begun in full swing.
Everyone is busy with their cooking.
Today, we were given 4000-year-old ingredients in the mystery box.
And I've chosen all the ingredients. I didn't spare even one.
Now I have to cook.
I don't just have to cook,
I want to cook splendidly.
When you go to write your exams,
you feel the nerves before your first one. I'm feeling it right now.
London's ingredients and these ingredients are totally different.
I've never even seen half these things.
- Ah. - Come on, Rajiv. Chop, chop!
Come on! Please move.
I've never used earthen pots.
So I have no idea how much it'll heat up or how long
it will take to cook.
So that was the biggest challenge for me.
I'm making an eggplant bharta by grinding it.
It will help present it in a stylish way.
They have not provided us chillies, tomatoes or onions.
This is like trial by fire.
This is very tough! I have never cooked much.
That too, for such high-esteemed judges
and such brilliant competitors.
Mom, if you're watching this,
you should've dragged me into the kitchen when I was a kid.
But it's fine. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't an actor.
[upbeat music]
What happened, Chandan? Are you lost?
I can't find the pan.
Forget the food challenge, he can't even find a pan.
[upbeat music]
Rajiv's pants have already loosened.
- Rajiv! - Yes!
Shall I keep a spot boy for your pants?
Yes, my pants are slipping off. It's bothering me.
[laughter]
[dramatic music]
Wherever you look, people are chopping away.
They're worried about their dishes.
They have turned it into a death battle.
It's Celebrity MasterChef. We should be having fun.
But they're all focused on the food.
As soon as I saw the mystery box,
two things caught my eye.
Raw mango and sugarcane juice.
I thought if I could make a chutney with this,
it would make for a great chaat.
Ranveer, it was a childhood dream of mine
to ask you this question when I see you.
Is eggplant called Baingan in Hindi
because it is without any qualities?
Zero qualities?
The eggplant didn't have a strong PR team.
It has garnered a bad image.
Otherwise,
it's like a flavour sponge.
I know. I like that.
It absorbs all the flavours.
I am tired of peeling the pea pods now.
I do not have peeled peas.
I just keep on peeling them
when I see that the other contestants
already have their pans on the stove.
They've started their dishes.
And I am still peeling peas.
- Just put the knife in. - Dipika, is this done?
Put the knife in.
Like this. Yes.
If it's stuck, that means it's not cooked yet.
Just as we check meat.
- If it goes through, it's cooked. - Like this.
Thank you so much.
Doing great, Archana.
So comfortable!
For the first time, I'll be labelled right.
I'm a grinding stone expert.
Archana, how do you use this?
See, keep it straight like this.
Keep it here and then
grind it across like this.
Usha Tai is so good at this.
Usha Tai!
Too good!
My lips have become dry.
The water is for cooking, please don't drink it.
Celebrity cooks, if you're roasting the eggplant on fire,
apply some oil on it. It'll make it easier to peel off the skin.
Oh!
My dear Abhijeet Sawant. Chef, you know,
20 years ago, I was a judge on Indian Idol
for the first time and
he was the first winner of Indian Idol.
- I remember that moment. - Yes.
And here we are, on Sony TV,
back again. Please don't let me down.
Of course not.
I am trying my best.
Whenever we cut into a spherical vegetable,
there's a chance of cutting ourselves.
And it's tough to cut it evenly.
The best way is
to slice off the vegetable to create a base.
Now try cutting it.
Oh my God, Abhijeet.
Look who is teaching you.
Michelin-star Chef Vikas Khanna.
By the way, what are you making?
I'm making eggplant roll.
Eggplant roll?
Are you making it for the first time?
Yes.
Oh my God.
Do you think you'll be able to roll the eggplant like that?
I'm getting worried now. If the eggplant isn't sliced thin enough,
it won't roll properly.
And the eggplant roll I want to make
won't take shape properly.
- Gaurav! - Yes.
What are you making?
I'm making it a platter with baba ganoush, lavash,
a sugarcane and basil chutney
with reduction.
It's going to be sweet.
How many things are you making, Gaurav?
Around four, five things. It's a platter.
Gaurav, you're coming from daily soaps.
You're used to lots of retakes. But you won't get any here.
Farah ma'am, when I became an actor,
I wasn't even an actor then. I had a corporate job.
One day, I received an offer to act.
Everyone told me how could I do it? I wasn't even trained.
It's been 18 years to that.
- Oh. - So, I like taking chances.
When I got this offer, I said okay.
I'll take the plunge and I'll see what happens.
From corporate to acting...
- To acting, now a chef. - A chef.
You never know.
You've made your family proud.
Thank you, ma'am. I just hope that
- my dish works. - I also hope
that your dish is finished in time. Keep an eye on the clock.
- Yes. - You're making quite a few things.
Gaurav, I'll give you a small tip. You said you're making 4-5 things.
I say you shouldn't make 4-5 things.
Make only three but make it perfect.
Sure.
[tense music]
Faisu, what are you making?
Sir, I'm making baba ganoush.
Baba ganoush is a bharta, originating from the Middle East.
- It's almost like a bharta. - Using an eggplant.
And I'm adding a little sugarcane to that.
- Sugarcane? - For a tinge of sweetness.
- Not bad, Faisu. - Thank you, ma'am.
He used to stay in Behrampada before.
- And he used to... - It was a slum area, sir.
In Bandra.
[pleasant music]
From there,
he has now bought 4 houses and settled his entire family.
Thank you, sir.
So proud of you, Faisu.
Now he's making baba ganoush and kebab.
What's with Middle East? Why are you making Middle Eastern food?
When I first went to Dubai, for the first time in my life,
there was this lovely restaurant in front of the Burj Khalifa
which served baba ganoush.
- You ate it for the first time. - For the first time, yes. And I...
How lovely.
- You remembered it. - And it was made of eggplant.
As soon as the mystery box opened, my mind went straight to that.
Right now, the most beautiful thing on this table is your confidence.
Do not let it falter.
- You're short on time. Good luck. - Yes, sir. Thank you.
- Well done, Faisu. - Thank you, ma'am.
When Vikas sir said that to me on
the first day, I got a confidence boost.
I have to kill it.
What's happening, Chandan?
I'm making eggplant bharta with paratha.
Let me tell you, when you cook eggplant like this,
if you add a pinch of salt in it,
the bitterness seeps out with the water.
That elevates the taste of the eggplant.
Thank you, sir.
[dramatic music]
If there's one dish that sounds quite interesting to me,
it's Abhijeet's dish.
- Abhijeet Sawant? - Yes.
The way he's making eggplant rolls.
He's making...
Generally, you can only make rolls
- when the slices are quite thin. - And soft.
And it shouldn't break.
I feel it's a bit dicey for him.
Secondly, if you just apply salt and oil to eggplant,
it turns soft.
[dramatic music]
Celebrity cooks!
It's a 90-minute challenge.
30 minutes have passed. You only have one hour.
You won't even realise how time flies by.
Speaking out of experience. Let's go!
[dramatic music]
30 minutes have passed.
And I realise my lentils are not yet cooked,
I can feel that
it's still a bit raw.
And the chutney was done
but I was still grinding.
So I do feel a bit hassled at the moment.
What do I even say?
We did not have a pressure cooker.
But I do feel like one right now.
I once again try to cut the eggplant slices.
This time, I want very thin slices
in order to roll them properly.
Usha Tai, how are you?
What are you making?
Eggplant with a filling.
I boiled moong lentils and ground them.
I added coriander, ginger, and garlic to it.
- Then I added salt. - This is the filling?
Yes, it is.
I got the lentil water.
I used it to cook the eggplant.
- Right, in the hot water. - Yes.
And now...
Tai, you're the fastest right now.
You're the fastest here and
in the lead right now.
- All the best. - Thank you.
[tense music]
Dipika, the most organised cook.
What are you making?
I'm making eggplant papdi chaat.
She's making 4000-year-old eggplant chaat.
What's this?
This is a tangy and sweet chutney made of mango and sugarcane juice.
This is made of coriander,
ginger, and turmeric with some garlic.
No, this doesn't have garlic.
This will be a bit pungent.
This is dry-roasted with a little bit of oil for seasoning.
The way we do for bharta,
I have smoked it a little.
So I'm hoping that the potato mash
will be replaced by this.
That's my idea.
And now I'm making the papdi
with the flour.
[pleasant music]
Hmm.
Dipika, your thought is in the right place.
- The thought is correct. - Okay.
- But keep the execution simple. - Yes.
You might get there easily.
Away from food,
how long has it been since you've come on TV?
4 years.
- Has it been 4 years? - 4 years, yes.
- It's just flown. - 4 years.
But you weren't away from the limelight.
You've been trolled. She gets trolled a lot.
Exactly for this.
- And now here I am, thanks to this. - Alright, very good.
This diversion, Dipika,
- from entertainment. - To food.
How did this happen?
It didn't just happen.
It was always there.
Even when I finished 12-hour shifts,
- Same with me! - Exactly!
But it was to eat food, not to cook.
Then it changed and I was thrown into cooking.
I cannot pick up that heavy
grinding stone.
I can't do it. Can someone please help?
Wait.
Don't drop it on my foot.
Here. Careful.
- Here? - Yes.
Do we have to wash it?
No, you can start directly.
Shall I grind you on this?
That will take a lot of time.
[tense music]
- Hello, Nikki. How are you? - Hi. Good.
If you need anything else, a jug of water, tell Abhijeet.
He'll help you.
No, I'm fine as of now. I'm fine.
I'm a bit nervous.
Because I've never cooked eggplant before this.
I don't even know how it tastes.
You're stuck on the eggplant when
there's six other things you haven't used.
I've made salsa and I'm making tacos.
I'm trying to experiment.
- Is it soft tacos or... - Hard.
- Hard? - Hard tacos.
If you want to make hard tacos,
then this is a good time to remove this
and dry it.
Or else it won't roll later.
I'm making tacos for the first time. I don't know how it'll turn out.
But he gave me hope. His tip helped me a lot.
Celebrity cooks, only 30 minutes to go!
[tense music]
Only half an hour left!
Guys, keep one eye on the clock all the time.
Within the hour, the sesame seed paratha isn't ready yet.
Only the baba ganoush is done.
I still have to fry the shami kebab. How will I manage all of this?
As time passes,
I am able to gather all my elements one by one.
The banana mash and the lentils are almost ready.
As the hands of the clock keep on moving,
my heartbeats are getting faster.
Tejasswi Prakash!
Can you shed some light on this?
What have you been cooking for so long?
I'm making an eggplant lasagna.
Eggplant lasagna?
- Yes. - Wow!
I'll stuff the lasagna with nimona...
and then
I'm making eggplant chips to place on top
with a raw turmeric pickle.
and then an eggplant mash.
- Tejasswi. - So many things!
[tense music]
This is the time when you should know what direction your plan is in,
- or else you'll miss the train. - Yes.
Many a time, you should do less but do it better.
- It lands faster. People like it. - Yeah.
Don't go trying too hard.
I thought I shouldn't overthink this.
If Chef Ranveer says it can't be done,
then it won't be.
Shall I start plating? Because the rice and this is ready.
- Whatever you wish to. - Look, the thing is,
I'll tell you this simply.
Firstly, bring all your elements together
so that you can gauge where you are exactly.
Right now, we don't even know where you've landed. Got it?
Take five minutes.
Assess the situation and then move forward.
- Okay. - Don't get hyper. It's fine.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
You know they say,
you should see how much time you've got.
And today, I don't have much time.
I was struggling.
The others were making their dishes
and I was watching them, growing tense.
I start rolling the eggplant.
I cannot use any extra pressure.
If it breaks in any way,
then I'll have to start all over again.
It's frying.
I never thought I would see
this moment in the last 20 years.
This is a good view.
And it's quite tough to reach this.
Abhijeet, this looks straight out of a restaurant to me.
All the best, Abhijeet.
Thank you, ma'am.
What's this? Salsa?
It's something like salsa.
I've added an Indian touch to it.
Wow. Beautiful.
Not as beautiful as you.
[laughter]
Get to cooking. It's a competition.
I know. This time, I will beat you.
This time, I have to beat you. Last time, I was the one who lost.
It's my turn, Abhijeet. Please.
Let's see.
Right now, you're behind me.
Way behind.
- Just kidding. - But I could race ahead any moment.
This is how we always start.
- Is it? - Yes.
Celebrity cooks!
Last 10 minutes.
Right now, your focus should be that your items which are perfectly ready
are perfectly plated too.
[exciting music playing]
Its now time for plating.
In the ten minutes for plating
Im thinking that if I do my plating now
my tacos will soften.
Because, the salsa has a little liquid.
And, tacos should be crispy.
So, will my plate go bad?
Teju.
Finish your cooking first, plating can happen later.
No, I...
Everyones plating.
Im cooking one thing, shifting it into something else.
Im cooking a second thing and shifting it into a third.
[tense music playing]
See, keep in mind during plating.
One, give enough time to plating.
Second, keep your plates clean.
Do not overcrowd your plates.
Third, its not necessary to have all kinds of colours on your plate.
Use few colours but use them well. And, dont forget.
Plating or presentation is
a very important part of MasterChef.
We never focus on presentation at home.
I mean, at my home...
I cook in a cooking pot and directly place it on the dining table.
As its all family, so, everyone serves themselves out of it.
[singing]
My dish is ready now.
Theres very little time left.
Plating is the newest thing for me.
Im wondering, these are ingredients from ancient times.
These are vegetables being used since several centuries.
So, I want to
present this in an earthen vessel.
Celebrity cooks, I have good news for you.
Last five minutes!
Hurry up!
I heard that there are only 5 minutes remaining.
Everyone has completed their presentation.
I was still busy cooking.
As time kept passing...
my hands moved faster.
I am so nervous.
I dont know what to do.
I quickly brought the dish to do my plating.
My brinjal is cooked. I placed it.
I start plating.
My stuffed brinjals were ready too.
I took a plate.
I cleaned everything around me.
I decorated the plate and stood waiting.
When will the three judges call me?
Usha Tai, done?
Amazing!
I have finished my work and am relaxing now.
The young kids with me are still working.
Theyre not used to it.
They spend money and hire cooks.
They relax peacefully.
I can see, Usha Tai has a clean table
and is relaxing.
I am very nervous.
And now, I dont know what to do.
Celebrity cooks, one advantage.
One immunity pin. And, whats left is one minute.
Good luck.
[exciting music playing]
MasterChef Celebrity.
This is the first time.
So, I thought, it's not a problem.
I cooked 5-6 elements.
And, I finished before time too.
Celebrity cooks, last 10 seconds.
- Ten. - Just as I placed the brinjal, he said 'ten'.
I was shocked.
Nine.
Then, Farah ma'am says 'nine'!
I'm rolling my brinjals here.
I realised that my idea...
of sprinkling chopped mangoes
was something I forgot.
Eight.
So, I quickly took a knife
and finely chopped it.
And, I sprinkled it.
- Seven. - Six.
- Five. - Four.
I swear!
My legs were trembling.
- Three. - Two.
- One. - One. Hands up!
Time's up, step back!
Please step back from your counters. Well done.
Whoo!
[cheering]
Finally, I placed the brinjal and my dish was complete before time up.
Everyone completed their presentation.
Our judges are going to check.
My heart was racing!
It's the first day, first episode.
I wasn't sure what will happen.
I hope, in my haste
I didn't make any mistakes.
I was very tense about the results and the tasting.
Time to taste.
- Are you ready? - Yes.
So, the first tasting of India's
first Celebrity Masterchef.
Coming with the first plate is Tejasswi.
[cheering and applause]
The first Celebrity Masterchef.
And, the first tasting dish was mine.
So, I'm obviously very nervous.
I chanted the name of god and placed my dish there.
[gentle music playing]
Tejasswi, what five ingredients did you use, out of the seven?
Wheat, brinjal.
- Sesame oil, turmeric and mango. - And, mango.
Teju, what have you cooked?
I've prepared a brinjal lasagna today.
I've layered it with nimona.
It's a Banarasi dish.
And, I've cooked wheat with sugarcane juice.
And, I've placed a mango and turmeric pickle too.
And, I've added a mashed texture to it.
I really like the way it looks.
- Thank you. Yes. - You took it on a monotone.
- And then, you played with various shades of those colours. - Yes.
The way you have emphasised its round form
and elevated the centre
by creating a contrast in height...
it has worked really well.
- It is a good-looking plate. - Thank you, Chef.
Is it a good-tasting plate?
- Shall we find out? - Absolutely.
[suspenseful music playing]
They put the spoons in their mouths, and I...
kept expecting them to react.
But, they didn't react. They quietly stood there.
I kept watching, they just quietly stood there.
I was the one who finished last.
So, I'm worried that
I cooked in such a hurry
so, it may falter in taste.
Teju.
Let me see your hand.
Oh my!
- It's outstanding! - Really?
I loved it!
- Really? - It is too good.
[triumphant music playing] [applause]
I'm obviously very excited!
I'm very happy that Farah ma'am
loved my food and praised me so much.
Oh, this brinjal lasgna...
- without cheese or pasta... - Yes.
or anything else is very flavourful.
What works for me is the sweetness of wheat
and, the balance you brought with the salt in nimona. - Yes.
- In Punjabi, we call it jaggery rice. - Yes.
And, that element that you added
is the star for me.
- Amazing. - Yeah!
- Thank you, Chef. - Teju, well done!
Thank you.
Don't wash this hand now.
Aw! Of course.
In the very first episode
they loved my dish.
That's a huge achievement for me.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
- Who's next? - Dipika.
Oh, just a minute.
His name is Ranveer, so, he's calling Dipika.
That's how it is. Come on.
[applause]
I have emotions bursting inside me right now.
My heart is racing.
What did you cook?
I cooked a brinjal papdi chaat.
So, we all love eating chaats.
I love spicy food.
So, the mashed potatoes
that we usually use to make chaats
has been replaced with a brinjal mash.
For the topping, I combined two pulses
and, tried to make something like white peas.
And, I topped it with mango and sugarcane chutney.
Not exactly spicy, but, a slightly pungent chutney.
Uh, with coriander.
[suspenseful music playing]
Yum!
That period, when they take a bite...
it feels like, you want the ground to swallow you up!
Say something!
- The mango dip in there... - Hmm!
Killer!
Dipika, it's yum!
- Yummy! - Thank you!
See, every ingredient...
has a specific property.
- Brinjals have a natural bitterness. - Yes.
So, sourness needs to be added to brinjals.
You balanced the bitterness of the brinjal with that chutney.
So, for me, that...
your sense of balancing ingredients
is the highlight of this dish for me.
Thank you.
Dipika, your trollers have received their answer.
- A good one. - Yes.
I'm standing here today, before all of you.
That is a huge answer in itself.
- Oh my. - True.
Thank you.
[applause]
Dipika, why are you crying so much?
No, it's just that, like you said...
Uh...
- Sorry. - You'll make me cry.
[soft music playing]
[applause]
Wow!
- Alright? - Yes, I'm fine.
Everyone faces trolling. I think...
each one is a soft target.
The topics vary.
The fact that I'm standing here today
is a huge thing for me.
Because, I want to represent every woman...
Sorry.
who is dominated using the taunt that she stays at home.
That all she does is cook food.
But, as a mother, as a wife...
as a homemaker...
a woman's mind is constantly working
about what her son likes...
or, that her husband is returning from work
so, what are his favourite foods.
So, being here today, for me...
is to represent all those ladies...
and, to tell everybody
that you may tell me
I'm just a home cook
but now, I want to show you that I truly am a home cook
and still, I am in the MasterChef kitchen.
That's the main reason.
[applause]
If we talk about Indian food
its foundation is home cooking.
So...
that is what we are standing on, and, that's what we stand for.
Even today, their favourite foods will also be mom's cooking.
My mom doesn't cook.
Say something about home food.
Mom says, that's what she gave birth to me for.
That's what my mom says.
Two celebrity cooks will come now
who get the inspiration for their dishes from the Middle East.
Gaurav and Faisu, you two.
All the best, Gaurav.
Faisu, what have you cooked?
Shami kebab and baba ganoush.
When you say shami kebab
or, when you cook any kind of kebabs
balance is very necessary, right?
There's a slight bitterness in your kebab, because
both pulses used were split pulses.
Gaurav, what did you cook?
Chef...
the name of my dish is mezze platter
and, I've tried to use all the elements in it.
that you showed in the mystery box.
What are the elements on the plate?
You can see, there's a sweet and tangy chutney
in the bowl.
It's made of sugarcane.
I added raw mango to it.
It has a little garlic
and, a little ginger too.
And, on the side is baba ganoush.
And, those are two
stuffed brinjals
which, I tried to stuff with horsegram.
And, the last thing...
on the side, that you can see...
I wanted to show, like a wildfire.
People lit them in the past. So, I made lavash
and, set them up like a fire.
Like wood was placed in bonfires.
In the centre, as I didn't have yellow colour
I deep-fried garlic
and, I tried to give that fiery look to the garlic.
[suspenseful music playing]
You were almost the first one to finish your dish.
- Yes, Chef. - What should we call that?
Confidence or over-confidence?
I feel, you had the time for this brinjal...
but, you were very hasty.
You thought it's ready. You focused more on the plating.
This should have been the focus.
This baba ganoush is inedible.
[tense music playing]
You've added too much ginger to it
There are ginger pieces in it.
I tried...
to understand what acting is.
What I understood is, the less you act...
in front of the camera, the better it appears.
It's the same with food.
The less you do, the more it will be appreciated.
The urge to show everything you know.
Or, the attempt to do something new.
But, eventually...
cooking is the art of minimalism.
Like, acting is restrain.
Cooking is restrain.
You gave it too much thought.
I'll own my dish, like you said. So, my fault.
Thank you.
Chandan and Usha Tai.
[applause]
Come on, Tai!
Make a blast!
Tai! Usha Tai!
- What did you cook, Chandan? - I cooked stuffed brinjals.
And, with that...
mango and sugarcane chutney
with cinnamon and cloves.
And, there's a paratha.
- And, Usha Tai? - Stuffed brinjals.
Stuffed brinjals?
- Flatbread. - Flatbread?
Whose shall we eat first?
Eat the one cooked by the elderly first.
Don't say anything. Whisper it to me.
[suspenseful music playing]
What happened?
[tense music playing]
You told us not to say anything.
- Woah! - Good.
Oh!
I was very scared.
Very scared!
- Amazing, Tai. - Usha Tai!
[applause]
Excellent! Very good.
I was very scared.
Look, it matters.
Someone who has had so much practice.
In the same amount of time, her brinjal
is perfectly cooked.
You know what she did, Vikas?
- She boiled lentils. - I saw.
She put the brinjal in the boiling water of the lentils.
I boiled the lentils, and the water
- that was left... - The hot water softened the brinjal.
I put the chopped brinjal in it.
So, they get semi-cooked.
Exactly. All the solutions are around us.
- This is my dinner for tonight. - Wow.
I had felt that Usha Tai will do well
but, I wasn't sure that she'll do so well.
So, Usha Tai, you were the Tai of Maharashtra till now.
Now, you have to stay strong in MasterChef
and become the Tai of all of India.
I never wore an apron at home.
But, when I wore this today, I felt like I'm achieving something.
See. Usha Tai.
MasterChef. Right?
It feels good.
Coming to our Chandanlal.
[suspenseful music playing]
You had only slit this in half, right?
Yes.
See, inside...
there's no flavour.
Chandan, this whole brinjal is raw.
- Okay. - Thank you.
- Go, Tai, go! - Go, Tai.
[cheering]
Wow!
- Next. - Abhijeet.
Rajiv.
Archana.
Kabita.
What have you cooked?
I have cooked litti chokha with fusion.
Brinjal roll.
And, inside, it has peas
and walnut stuffing.
And, there's a fresh chutney with it.
Sir, I've cooked lentil fritters.
With it, I've stuffed lentils in a brinjal mash.
Okay.
Abhijeet, I love the roll.
Thank you.
It's very tasty, delicious.
I don't like the colour of the plate you chose.
[tense music playing]
It has a huge influence on your appetite.
Did you taste the dish?
Did you find the brinjal well cooked?
No. I felt like it was undercooked.
You executed the minor details very well.
Or, you can say, maybe expectations are too high.
Or, maybe...
you're stopping yourself.
This dish couldn't jump out.
- I've cooked samosas today. - Brinjal samosas?
Stuffed with brinjal and lentils.
I broke an egg in it too.
- An egg? - Yes, I added an egg.
[tense music playing]
Rajiv, this is not a good dish.
The stuffing in it sounds exciting.
Egg plus lentils plus brinjal.
When you mention an exciting combination
- expectations rise further. - Hmm.
And, when it doesn't deliver, there's acute disappointment too.
Rajiv, today...
if eliminations were happening
then, I swear, you would have gone home.
First day.
This comment from Farah ma'am.
We were all shaken.
- Nikki! - Hmm? Yes.
- Come. - Please get your dish.
I have confidence in myself
that whatever I've cooked, good or bad
I own this plate.
This plate is as mine as this kitchen is!
[tense music playing]
What did you cook, Nikki?
I have cooked litti chokha tacos.
Litti chokha taco?
Where did you get that idea from?
Since my childhood, I've seen my mom cooking it.
I'm a Maharashtrian.
So, brinjal mash is a local dish.
That gave me an idea.
But, I didn't have the ingredients
to cook it like my mom did.
I added whatever spices were available.
And then, I've made a sugarcane salsa with it.
It has turmeric and raw mango.
Where's the salsa? On top of it?
- As a topping. - Okay.
Yes.
[suspenseful music playing]
Vikas, you say.
You speak.
- You'll say? - No, you speak.
All three started telling each other
to say something.
I was wondering what's going on.
Nobody was ready to talk. All three are turning away.
I got so confused!
I spoke last time too.
Let's ask her who should talk first.
- Who should talk first? - Should I always give the bad news?
I'm afraid of you the most, so, you say something, please.
Everyone's afraid of me.
[tense music playing]
Nikki.
When I lift this spoon...
Do you know what I do when I find something delicious?
[spoon banging]
[screaming]
- Seriously? - Go, Nikki!
It's delicious!
Thank you.
On hearing that Nikki did well
I was surprised. I felt...
can she work too?
She has talent?
She cooked something?
I don't know how this happened.
- Oh my god! - Why it happened?
Purely based on...
the food that we are eating here.
Whether you've ever eaten brinjal or not.
- Whether you're lying or not, have cooked it or not. - I haven't.
Doesn't matter.
This combination, this dish.
The textures.
The flavours, your salsa.
It's mind-blowing!
Thank you so much, sir.
Thank you.
- Mind-blowing! - Oh my god.
Thank you!
Taste.
Innovation. Presentation.
- 100 on 100. - Woah!
Thank you, sir. Thank you.
Well done, Nikki.
- Thank you. - All the best.
Thank you.
Yay!
Woah! Let's go!
Time for results.
Which are the three best dishes for today?
Let's see.
I think, the first one is...
[suspenseful music playing]
- Nikki. - Oh!
- Tejasswi. - Oh my!
- Come on. - Yay!
Tai! Tai! Tai!
- Can it be a boy, you think? - Yes, please.
So... Usha Tai!
[screaming]
What can I say, gal?
Competition got tough
- and, we got immunity. - Jai Maharashtra!
Jai Maharashtra!
With taste, innovation and presentation
and a slight twist of thought
the dish that took a huge leap
is the dish by...
3-2-1!
Nikki!
I did it!
Tai!
Of course, I'm happy for her. But, I'm thinking...
the competition is very serious here.
In tomorrow's competition...
I will work even harder
and, I will earn that pin, if that's what god wishes.
God is great.
Coming up tomorrow.
Today, you have to cook in two rounds.
- Yes! - Six.
- Five. - Four.
- Did it fall? - Two.
Cook!
But, we had to remove it?
This won't do.
Oh!