'Your challenge for today...'
'It has been over 22 years and I still remember that dish.'
'Must be something amazing.'
- [shrieking] - 'Good heavens!'
- [whooping] - 'You can see lightning inside it.'
[music playing]
'Sir, I don't know why but I can't stop crying.'
'Meet Bindu Khanna, Chef Vikas's mom.'
'People taunted him. "You want to be a chef!"
'The most important thing in the life of a Celebrity MasterChef...'
[suspenseful music playing]
'Is a Golden Apron!'
[all whooping]
[theme music playing]
I am Farah Khan.
And the people beside me
make the taste buds of people around the world
dance to their tunes!
Chef Vikas Khanna and Chef Ranveer Brar.
[applause]
Just as the graduation exam
is the last step in one's education,
similarly, today, you have to pass BA.
BA stands for Black Apron.
[solemn music playing]
That's right, this season's last Black Apron challenge,
as after that, you'll be moving right towards your Master's Degree
which is towards being a MasterChef.
Congratulations to both of you.
You'll be the first finalists of Celebrity MasterChef.
Thank you, Chef. Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Only three celebrity cooks out of you
will go to the MasterChef Finale.
[tense music playing]
We three including everyone, at some point in our lives,
reach a crossroads
when we have to make a decision
which entails taking only one step.
At that time, you look for someone who might tell you,
"We believe in you."
And today, we're telling you, "We believe in you!"
I can understand why you're so scared.
When I decided to quit this and become a director...
It's a big step.
To stay in your comfort zone with your achievements
is all very easy.
Like he said, you might find someone who believes in you,
I found Shah Rukh.
He said, "I believe in you."
"I'll produce your movie. You go and do it."
Similarly, we all believe in you.
Absolutely.
Before we disclose the challenge,
we want you to tell us
which has been
the most cherished dish you've had to date.
There are two dishes.
- My mom's thecha... - Okay.
- And Dad's Ghee Roast Chicken. - Ah!
She made both those dishes and fed them to us.
In the holidays, we'd visit our maternal grandma's house.
She used to make saag.
Saag and makke di roti.
The rotis she made were this big and made in water.
The food you eat in villages...
Pickle, saag, makke di roti...
- Onion. - Yes!
- Raw onion which they break with their fists. - Right.
The joy of eating in the fields is out of this world
and I still miss that
because I don't get to do it any more.
Those were my most cherished moments which we used to celebrate.
I still remember the theplas my mother used to make.
My mouth is watering.
So, I think... Obviously, nothing beats a mother's cooking.
So, definitely my mother's theplas.
- Faisu! - Chef, I've made my favourite dish on the show.
My favourite dish is Dabba Gosht.
I'm talking about the time I lived with my friends in Behram
and the moments we shared together.
We'd pool in and have Dabba Gosht.
It's so memorable, Chef,
that I elevated that memory by making the dish on this show.
You must be wondering why we asked you about your memorable dishes
in the Black Apron round at this stage, right?
Why did we, Chef Vikas?
I want to share a dish
that changed my life in terms of desserts!
[music playing]
I had never seen, heard of or tasted such a dessert in my entire life.
Various forms of sugar in a single plate.
I was at a competition in New York.
I saw a marvel at that sugar competition that day.
Nothing comes remotely close to it!
This dish...
Your challenge for today...
[suspenseful music playing]
Is 'On Cloud Nine'!
[solemn music playing]
It has been over 22 years and I still remember that dish.
Must be something really...
Must be something amazing, right?
Are you guys ready?
- Yes. - Yes, Chef.
[thunder rumbling]
- [shrieking] - Good heavens!
- [whooping] - You can see lightning inside it.
- Whoa! - Gosh!
- Oh, God! - What's happening?
[Faisu] 'The dish wasn't visible.'
But the dish was covered in a cloud
and I knew we'd be going On Cloud Nine today!
Wow!
- Oh, God! - What's going on? Gosh!
'The lightning made it evident'
it was the Semi-Finale's Black Apron and last apron round.
We were anxious as to what was inside it!
On the count of three,
- two... - Two!
One! Open sesame!
[intense music playing]
[all whooping]
Oh my God!
Wow!
This is definitely cotton candy!
After it opened, we saw that the dish was so beautiful.
The stick and the work with the sugar...
'After seeing all that, your mind stops working.'
There were so many elements. We were wondering how we'd make it.
[Vikas] Look carefully.
It's an Egg Matcha Cream Cheesecake in which sugar has been used.
On the outside is netting made from sugar and chocolate.
Then you have
these long hazelnut sugar threads.
A very interesting technique has been used for the strawberries.
- We made some glass of sugar. - Wow.
And finally, a sugar cloud.
[Rajiv] 'I was shocked to see it.'
"How are we going to make all these elements for the Black Apron?"
The only consolation was
that desserts were my strong suit.
My USP on this show is desserts.
I feel I have a big advantage.
[Vikas] The nature of sugar changes in seconds.
Sugar is alive, like emotions,
and that is what you've to put on the plate today.
[solemn music playing]
This dish is based on weight.
Now, the pressure points.
There's a crumble at the bottom which is chocolate-based.
Be mindful of the sugar's temperature
for the mixture of the base lest it becomes too hard.
Coming to the matcha.
It is one of the most precious teas available in the world.
We strain the tea leaves to get the matcha powder.
It originated in China and Japan further elevated it.
Matcha gets sour in no time.
They are special quality tea leaves that are grown only in the shade.
Then we have a chocolate netting.
You need to cook white and dark chocolate together
and make the netting at the perfect time
or it won't stick together.
And you have to turn it
when it is still very delicate and pliable.
Chocolate isn't pliable after a point.
You've to work on the mould at that time
because that will serve as your base
in which you need to fit the cheesecake.
Moving on to the hazelnut and caramel mixture.
When it reaches the perfect temperature,
you'll get only one second to stretch it.
If the caramel is soft,
then it is not possible to make threads with it.
Then you've to use the caramel
to make a glass mould for the base
and the moment you put it on the Silpat, drop a strawberry in it.
Then you've to pull the mould
to create a glass around the strawberry.
Then you have a cloud of sugar on the top.
Your candy floss.
You've to make this from scratch
using temperature.
You've to make everything apart from the strawberries and hazelnuts.
This dish is a test of
the detailing and balance of elements
like time, temperature, technique, taste and temperament.
By making this dish, you have to prove
that you are MasterChef Finale-worthy.
[Archana] 'I wondered what it was and how to make it.'
I had never made a cheesecake!
This dish has six pressure points in total.
The crumble at the bottom.
The finishing of the chocolate netting
and the chocolate's tempering.
The handling of the matcha and cooking of the cheesecake.
A hazelnut stick which is at least 12 inches.
Strawberry tubes.
And lastly, the candy floss detail and its cooking.
Come here and taste this.
Based on the taste, guess what ingredients it contains...
- And in what quantity. - Because today...
[suspenseful music playing]
You're not going to get the recipe.
- Oh my God! - Oh!
Today is your MasterChef kitchen's
first no-recipe pressure test challenge.
[Faisu] 'We were clearly told we wouldn't get the recipe.'
"Taste the dish"
"and on the basis of that, make the dish on your own."
Now, I understood why this was the last Black Apron challenge.
Celebrity cooks!
Please come forward and taste this
and be "on my cloud nine"!
[Nikki] How is it green?
[Ranveer] Matcha! Green tea.
[Ranveer] First, take a good look at every element,
its detailing, finishing,
shine, intricacies and colour.
[Ranveer] Check the thickness and height.
[Ranveer] Get the measurements, okay?
How is it, Archana?
It tastes good, sir.
Have you ever had a Matcha Cake before?
I don't know what matcha is, ma'am.
Chef, what's the crumble made of?
- Lotus Biscoff? - It's a regular crumble.
It has been later tossed into a ganache.
For this challenge, you get 120 minutes
which is exactly two hours.
MasterChef's world-class pantry will be shut today
and all the ingredients will be delivered to your counter.
Celebrity cooks!
Agreed we're not giving you the recipe,
but our extremely generous chef here
will tell you the sequence
in which you have to make this particular dish.
You will start by making the chocolate crumble.
The second element will be the Matcha Cheesecake.
The third is the ring of the white and dark chocolate on the side.
The fourth is the hazelnut and caramel thread.
And the fifth is the strawberry sugar pouch.
When everything on your table is ready,
you will start making the sugar cloud.
Celebrity cooks, follow this sequence
and prepare the elements sequence by sequence.
Remember, the hardest part of this dish is its assembly, right?
Your assembly will finish on the table
when you place the cloud on the dessert in front of us.
All right?
Today's challenge will decide
who makes it to the Finals.
[clock ticking]
MasterChef's world-class pantry will be shut for this challenge.
On your marks,
- get set, go! - Go!
[tense music playing]
[Archana] 'So, I immediately went to the counter'
and began making the crumble.
[Nikki] 'I've made a crumble before. So, it was very easy for me.'
'For the crumble, I took 100 gm of maida, '
'50 gm of castor sugar, '
'50 gm of butter, '
5 gm of cinnamon
and 10 gm of dark chocolate.
[solemn music playing]
- Come on, Nikki! - [clapping]
Yes!
- Rajiv! - Get the measurements right.
Yes, it's right.
Good! Good... Good speed. Come on.
[gripping music playing]
[Faisu] 'I started with making the crumble.'
'When I was mixing, I happened to glance at Rajiv.'
'His crumble was quite fat and thick.'
'I didn't want to make that mistake.'
'I saw the judges' dish On Cloud Nine.'
The crumble in the dish is quite thin.
It is quite good and really smooth.
So, I didn't want to thicken it.
Don't do it!
Oh, no. It's sticking to my fingers.
Faisu, you deserve it.
Yes! Let's go, bro.
- Your brother's going to kill it! - [laughs]
Bring it on.
March on, keep shining.
Keep kneading the flour and butter!
[chuckles]
[upbeat vocalisation]
And the crumble goes in! Very good.
Come on, Archana. Hurry up. Put the crumble in the oven.
[gripping music playing]
[oven door closing]
[whirring]
[Nikki] 'The first pressure test with no recipe is very difficult.'
'There are six pressure points.'
Okay, my crumble is ready.
I'm going to put it in the oven.
I've put the crumble inside the oven.
The second element is the cheesecake batter.
Exact... As you can see,
I'm measuring the exact quantities.
I don't want to go home today,
I want to win the Black Apron anyhow and make it to the finale.
[gripping music playing]
[Faisu] I'm readying the batter.
I've reached the process of beating the eggs.
I've whipped the sugar and fresh cream.
Then go in the eggs, vanilla essence, cinnamon powder
and matcha, which is our hero ingredient for today.
I've survived this far.
I don't want to go home now.
I want to leave with the trophy, God willing.
I'm under immense pressure as I've never baked a cake before.
I tried my hand at it once
but received negative feedback that it was dry.
So, I decided never to bake a cake.
Here I am making a cake again.
'So, I'm extremely nervous. Will I succeed?'
[whirring]
'I was in bad shape.'
'I was fazed.'
I started shaking.
Sir, I can't stop crying.
Sir, I don't know why but I can't stop crying.
'I was anxious. I had no idea what I was doing.'
I didn't remember what to do next.
- What happened? - Sir, I can't stop crying. [sobs]
I'm really scared.
- What happened? - I don't know, sir. [sobs]
I don't know!
Sir, my cake is not ready...
You crossed so many thresholds and made it here.
- This is a small dessert. - [sobs]
- Sir... - Don't you say you're fearless and nothing scares you?
- Is it you, Archana? - My heart is pounding, sir. I don't know why.
[sobs and sniffles]
She's scared.
- Scared! Why? - Come on...
I have baked a cake, sir. Especially a cheesecake.
- It's an expensive cake, sir. - What?
- It's costly? - Yes.
We've given you the ingredients, not asked you to buy it.
No, sir.
- I mean... - Shush.
Every time you cry...
You made a remarkable dish each time you cried, you know?
True, sir, but this is the last Black Apron round. You get it?
I'm one step away.
- If you cook anxiously, it won't turn out good. - Hmm.
No matter what it is,
you will succeed if you do it with the right heart.
- If you cry, the dish won't come out good. - Right.
That's the first thing.
Second thing. Remember.
Setting the cheesecake makes for the majority of the work.
If you're baking it, the quantity of egg should be right.
If you give it enough time to set in the fridge,
- it will hold its shape. - Okay, sir.
People from Meerut never cry!
- Okay? Good luck. - Yes, I'll get to it.
- I don't want to see you crying. - No, sir.
- Okay? - I need to grate this.
Don't get emotional.
- Sir... - Bake with passion.
- Okay? - Yes, sir.
- Bravo. - I'll just grate this, sir.
'I reminded myself of why I was here.'
I was here for my dad.
I recollected that moment and I had finally relaxed.
'I was done crying.'
And then,
I pushed myself, got a hold of my emotions
and got back to baking the cake.
[whirring]
- Rajiv! - Yes, sir.
- You're aware that we don't beat the cheesecake much. - Yes...
We just like to mix the ingredients.
How will you use the matcha?
I'll put the matcha in this.
Have you worked with matcha before?
I have. [chuckles]
- Have you? - I made matcha muffins many years ago.
- Do you like its aroma? - It's lovely.
I do, but it's bitter.
So, I'm scared.
If I overuse it, it will taste bitter.
But I think it'll be fine for the cheesecake.
Do you think you have an advantage today?
Chef, I think I do
because I've made the most number of desserts on this show.
So, I know what ingredients to put and in what quantity.
I think that's my advantage more than anybody.
But as you say, "You never know who's going to have a bad day!"
I believe
that only one celebrity cook here can beat Rajiv today.
Yes. Myself!
- And that's you, yes? - Yes.
- Just be careful of the overconfidence. - Yes.
It's a fine line.
- Of course, sir. - God forbid...
Because you've done everything, you couldn't do it this time.
As you know, Chef, anything can happen in this kitchen.
Good luck.
[tense music playing]
I hope you know there's marble work on top of this.
For the marble work,
I will set aside 15 grams from this.
I will add extra
- matcha powder to it. - You've kept that aside.
I will put that into this
and give it a marble shape
and then
- I will bake it. - Without two different shades of green,
- you won't achieve the marbling effect. - It won't.
[tense music playing]
Okay? Both the colours have to be distinct.
The effect won't show if both colours
are too similar to each other.
- Work with the chocolate crumble while it's still hot. - Okay, sir.
Faisu, why are you nervous?
[tense music playing]
Sir, I've been disturbed by a few personal matters.
That's why I am slightly distracted.
- I am... - Listen!
All I would like to say is once you step into this kitchen
and put this on,
- your personal life stays outside. - Absolutely!
I always tell you
that this 100-meter race comes down to just one meter in the final lap.
- Right! - It seems like in the last lap,
you're getting distracted.
You are not the same guy.
This is the same thing you say.
'Chef, I make it to the end but never win.'
Stop doubting yourself at the final moment.
Once you reach the final stage, close your eyes
and give it your all.
It doesn't matter
what is happening around you,
who is thinking what about you,
or what is happening at home or elsewhere.
This might be your learning here.
- Understood? - Yes, Chef.
I doubt.
- Understood? - Yes, Chef.
Good!
'I was excited about today's dish'
'and I was also nervous because I was wearing a black apron.'
But we have amazing chefs.
They came to me and motivated me.
I was happy about it and got back to work.
By now, everyone's Matcha Cheese Cake should be
in the oven. Please!
Look at the clock.
- Half an hour is up. - What?
Hurry up! We are running out of time.
[clock ticking]
Chef, what's wrong with Archana?
Archana is quite scared.
Those who are used to cooking on the hearth
get scared to put something in the oven.
They feel anxious.
Anyone would panic without a recipe.
Those who cook over an open flame
often feel uneasy,
as baking offers less control than cooking.
Rajiv holds an advantage in this challenge.
If you see, Rajiv is ahead of everyone.
Rajiv has put his cheesecake in to bake.
He is on chocolate now.
Others are yet to bake their cheesecake.
Faisu has put it to bake.
But he has already moved on to chocolate.
Rajiv will finish first,
but will it be perfect?
When his previous challenge was Britain,
- he felt this was his strong suit. - He will excel.
I think things went wrong there.
Even now, he's going overboard with overconfidence.
- I just hope he makes it. - One contestant
- who is unconfident this time is Faisu. - Faisu.
I think he has taken the experiences from his past shows
too seriously,
as he always manages
to get to the semi-finals.
- That is it. - He doesn't cross the finishing line.
We speak of them as the demons of the past.
He is scared that he won't cross the finishing line.
Those who got eliminated in the first or second episode,
what must they have gone through?
You make sense.
You are 100% right about that.
I think at the stage they're at right now,
once the cake comes out of the oven and is set,
they will either gain a lot of confidence
or realise that something has gone wrong.
We need to wait for that moment.
Other than that, I believe Nikki
and Rajiv have the upper hand
from where I stand because
they look calm and composed.
Faisu and Archana are scared.
[suspenseful music playing]
Rajiv, open my oven.
I can't! I am working, Archana.
- I am busy. - You are so selfish, Rajiv.
Now I know exactly who you are, Rajiv.
'I was furious.'
So selfish.
I didn't ask him to help me with the quantity.
He is good with cheesecake,
he could at least help me.
He didn't open the oven. So, I opened it
and placed my dish inside it.
Celebrity cooks, you have one hour left.
[tense music playing]
[chopping]
The cheesecake itself is easy for me to bake,
but it's the other elements that are tricky.
I made the net in the beginning.
I went on.
I drew diagonal lines on a plastic.
But it broke.
And this is a key element of my dish.
[music playing]
I am making the chocolate net now.
My cake is baking.
And I...
What do I have to do? Yes! I have to experiment
with sugar as well.
I think I'll manage
as I'm nearly on par with everyone else.
So, I'm gradually picking up my speed.
[music playing]
- It is too hot. - Let me cool it down a bit.
Cool it down in the bowl.
The chocolate is piping hot. This one too.
Rajiv, both the chocolates are really hot.
The chocolate...
Another thing is, while tempering,
this bowl should not be touching the surface.
Your bowl is touching the surface below.
- Okay! - That's also why the chocolate is hot.
- The bowl should ideally be exposed to steam. - Okay! Steam!
You'll need to take both chocolates out and temper them,
which means bringing them to room temperature.
- After that, you'll need to pipe them quickly. - Okay.
It's too hot.
My cheesecake is baking.
The crumble has set nicely
and I've placed it in the oven.
I've set the timer for 35 minutes.
I think there are about 10 minutes left.
Once that is done, I am ready to work with the sugar.
[music playing]
- Archana! - Hmm?
This is not good.
- Is it not? - It's too good.
Like this?
[gasps]
Really, sir? Thank you so much, sir.
The entire sheet needs to be covered with chocolate,
only then will it roll completely.
Look at Archana. That's perfect.
It's perfect.
[suspenseful music playing]
You did a great job, but it's a bit too thin.
Be extra careful when taking it out.
My suggestion is to make another one.
After applying it to the mould, I thought, why should I do that
when I need to take it out later?
I didn't want it to get stuck to the mould.
So, I decided not to put it in the mould.
Instead, I just set it aside
and put it in the refrigerator.
I came back and started working on the fourth element.
Hazelnut and caramel mixture thread.
[intense music playing]
Okay! What are you doing?
What's going on, Faisu?
- Did you turn off the flame? - Yes.
- No, the flame is low. - Do you think the caramel is ready?
Tell me.
- It's burnt on one side. - Yes.
- It is bitter now. - Okay.
- I'll make it again. - I mentioned when you caramelise
- you can't do anything else. - Okay, sir.
There are two types of chocolates here
and I also see sugar here.
- You should start this from scratch. - Okay, Chef.
The darker sides are bitter now.
Okay, Chef.
Whenever we are caramelising,
- we keep moving it for even cooking. - Got it, Chef.
Focus on chocolates now.
[tense music playing]
Sir, should I add more water?
The sugar hasn't melted yet.
- Archana, your... - Yes, Chef.
Look at this, sir. It's straight.
Archana, the sugar isn't ready yet.
There are already grains forming in it. Can't you see?
Yes, sir. I will work on this.
- I'll make it thinner. - You will have to make the sugar syrup again.
- Okay, sir. - There can't be grains forming.
[suspenseful music playing]
My cake is ready. I took it out of the oven.
And I immediately set it.
I want the cheesecake to set faster.
Rajiv's cheesecake has been baked and is now setting.
Okay! Keep an eye on your oven.
One is ready.
I will make more.
I won't... I won't give up.
Finally, it was ready.
And I am ahead of everyone.
I was happy about that.
[suspenseful music playing]
- Come, sister! Let's gossip. - Time to gossip.
- Oh! - Come, brother and sister.
- Yes! - Let's gossip. You are enjoying
- it here. - No. That looks tough, ma'am.
- We are the finalists. - It looks so hard.
- It is not easy. - Do you think
- both of you would've pulled it off? - No. It's hard.
- We would've made the cheesecake. - Yes.
But this trick...
The thing about this is,
sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
- And when it comes to this dessert... - There's pressure.
In the black apron or pressure test...
The desserts look so beautiful.
- Rajiv dropped it. - Rajiv is finding it difficult.
- Careful, Rajiv. - I think he has an advantage.
Dessert is his forte.
That's what I am saying.
This dessert...
His body language was confident while he was making the cheesecake.
Now that he is making this,
I can sense that...
- It is tough. - And Archana has two ready.
It is ready to go in the refrigerator.
As soon as I noticed my cheesecake was perfectly baked,
I carefully took the tray
and poured the water out in the sink.
And very gently, I placed the cheesecake on the plate.
I placed it in the freezer to set.
Tell me something. Both of you have played many roles.
- Both of you are actors. - Yes.
[laughing]
- I will give you two situations. - Okay.
- Gaurav, - Yes, ma'am.
Chef Ranveer has come to your table,
he has tasted the dish. Act that out.
Teja, you are cooking.
- And I will come to your counter as the chef. - Okay!
- Your heart is racing and are feeling nervous. - Yes.
- Okay! - Chef Ranveer, please taste
Teja's Matcha Cake.
[music playing]
- Smell it! - Chef, is it fine?
Is it okay?
Chef, hurry up. I need to bake it.
Your dish...
Chef, I will burn my dish.
No! I am trying to think of the word.
For that aroma...
First, you should smell it.
- Smell it! - Okay!
- Smell it. - When you get the smell, then...
Celebrity chefs, this is for all of you!
Your dish won't turn out well
until you're satisfied with it.
- Farah always says... - Yes.
- Her roast chicken is world-famous in Lokhandwala. - Correct.
[laughing]
Sir, what do you think of the salt in the cake?
- Yes! - Salt is a fine line.
You can sense when it's not there,
and you can also tell if there's too much.
Okay!
Chef Ranveer, please smile.
Ah!
[laughing]
Teja, I want to tell you
- that Nikki is doing better than you. Okay? - Okay!
- Do well. Okay! - Oh God!
[laughing]
Rajiv, you are overcooking the sugar.
- I shouldn't? - These air bubbles
are weakening the strength of your sugar.
Everyone's cake is in the refrigerator.
I'm the only one who hasn't set mine in.
Chef Vikas!
- Teja! - Yes?
What are you cooking, dear?
- Matcha... - I will play Teja.
[laughing]
Chef, I made... My dish is called...
- What is it? - 'The matcha of relationship.'
Teja, where do you come up with these names from?
If you put as much thought into flavour as you do into the name,
you will end up with something delicious.
- But I... - Teja, hold on.
- Farah... - I am stressed.
It is disgusting.
Eating your food also leaves us feeling stressed.
It's not fair, ma'am.
You didn't let me keep my paratha the other day.
Dear, please hurry up.
What are you doing? This...
Farah, it tastes bad.
Chef Vikas...
[music playing]
Yes!
Oh my! What am I doing here?
- Throw me out of this show. - Chef... Chef Viku.
They don't stop.
Why does she keep calling me Viku, Farah?
Chef Viku, forget everything and let's go to the pantry.
Farah...
- Farah, dear... - Teju, did you forget Karan?
Oh God! My smoochie!
[grunts]
[laughing]
- Next week. - From next week, both of you...
- Correct. - Will be here.
Both of you are cheerleaders.
- We will! - Encourage them.
- Keep cheering them. - Yes.
Because three of them
- will be in the finals. - Yes.
[tense music playing]
Faisu, keep your hands steady or it will bend.
The one to your left is ready, place it.
- I can see it. - It is not ready yet.
It will bend once he places it.
I nearly wasted around four hazelnut sticks.
I figured out
the right temperature to take them out
and make sure the thread was just right.
Chef, is this length fine?
The length is not all that's required.
I explained it twice. You are not listening to me.
Don't look at the length alone.
You have to place
a cloud on it. You are focussed on the height.
This is useless.
- It will break. - It is useless.
- Understood? - This is the right height.
12... This is 12 inches.
You have to keep this height, but it has to be strong.
So that it can hold the cloud.
Make around six of these.
- Yes, Chef. - We need both length and strength.
- Got it. - You've cooked the sugar perfectly.
'I will make ten threads to be safe.'
If anything goes wrong,
I have to give my best.
I can't risk it.
[suspenseful music playing]
- How many did you end up making? - No!
How many did you make?
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
- I made eight. - Eight!
[tense music playing]
What is she doing?
She is checking to see if it forms a tube,
- and if it does, she'll put the strawberry in and pull it. - Oh!
That's what I think.
No! Let it cool down a bit more, Archana.
I am trying. I will figure it out.
Do that at the end, Rajiv. Start the strawberry one.
I've started making strawberry tubes.
This is so confusing.
What a mess.
The sugar has to be at the right temperature.
I don't know at what temperature
it will form a tube.
[whimpering] Mom!
Mom!
How do I finish this now?
[tense music playing]
[gasps]
[tense music playing]
I have to do it again.
Are you sure you have to cut it out from the top, Archana?
Yes.
Archana, the more you do that... Wait a minute.
[tense music playing]
It came out well once. Now you are worrying.
Sir, look how big it became.
Please listen to me.
Listen to what we have to say. Chef Vikas.
- Archana, the more you spin this... - Yes.
The more it will be filled with air bubbles.
- Yes. - It was clean before.
- Yes. - Now it became cloudy.
- Yes. - It is weak at the moment.
The more you spin it, the more it is filled with air bubbles.
You just have to maintain its temperature, understand?
I get it, sir.
Yes, if you keep spinning it
- you won't get it done. - You need a new pearl.
Sir, I have it here.
I will tell you why. Look at this.
Sir, shall I keep washing it often?
It is not about that.
It is very tight.
- Do you see this? - Yes.
Did it happen?
Now look at this. It is not blending well in the middle.
Why is it not happening?
- Because this has become tight. - Sir, I will melt it down.
- You have to melt it down. - Okay.
- It has to be liquid. - Okay, sir.
This is tough.
This is not easy.
[tense music playing]
Strawberry pouch
has been a good experience for me.
I put the mould in the strawberry. I pulled the pouch out.
It came out so tall and so beautiful.
I was super confident.
This will turn out to be the best.
It looks good. It looks good, Faisu.
Nice.
Do it from the top.
[upbeat music playing]
Good. Good. Good, Faisu. This is it.
Nice.
Just do one more.
- Don't twist it. - Do it from the top.
They want it taller.
They want it tall.
More than this?
- They need it more taller. - Is it?
- I will do it again. - He cut it from the bottom. - Yeah.
You get super excited.
[indistinct]
Yes. He is super excited.
Because he... 'I know, cheesecake.'
'I made cheesecake three times.'
'I will do it with my left hand if I have to, you know.'
[tense music playing]
This is Semi Finale's
last black apron challenge. You only have thirty minutes left.
[tense music playing]
Archana and Faisu are done with their strawberries.
- The others have to... - Correct. Correct.
Nikki, look behind you. Look how they are doing it.
Look at them if you are confused.
Look at Archana in the back.
I must put the strawberry in this, right?
Make it fast. Do it with your hand. Don't use a knife.
I was trying to make the ring with the cutter.
But it wasn't happening.
Teju kept saying from upstairs, 'Nikki, this is too hot. Let it cool.'
It is cooling down. But I wasn't able to make the ring.
Archana is doing everything in the first attempt.
Archana has made two glasses.
I am under stress.
I wasted 15-20 minutes on the glasses.
If I had the immunity pin right now
I would have used it. I would have saved myself.
[tense music playing]
Yes, madam.
- You did it? - Yes, madam.
Archana, I never met an innovative person like you.
- You finally made this happen. - Yes, madam.
I tried something. It turned out well.
It is good.
- Yes, sir. - Why did you cry then?
- Sir, I thought I couldn't do it. - Sir, she is a talented actress.
- Madam! - She cries.
She still ends up making everything.
- Madam. Madam, no. - It tastes excellent.
- It will taste good. - No, madam. I am serious.
Sir helped me out.
I didn't know what to do and how to do it.
Madam, you will know how we feel when you are in this challenge.
Why would I be in the black apron challenge?
Yes!
- I can understand that. - Madam, we feel like...
- You are going to take a math test. - Yes.
- It was as if we had to pass 12th. - Were you good in maths?
- Yes, madam. I was good in math. - What were you bad in?
I was bad at English.
Your English is super fun now.
- No, it is still bad. - It is fun, isn't it?
I got 37 marks in English.
You passed the paper, right?
- Yes, I did. - That's what I said.
You just have to cook better than one person today.
Madam, you said the same thing to everyone.
Everyone has to cook better than one person among you.
- Okay, madam. - You eavesdrop on everything I say.
That's what we take the money for.
[laughs]
Tell me why this happened.
I don't know, chef.
Your isomalt is sticky because it is not thick enough.
While cooking sugar, when we pull it up
- the speed that we maintain... - Yes.
It determines how thick our wall will be.
Okay.
You are pulling it too fast.
That's why the wall is thin. That's why it is falling apart.
Okay.
By the time you plate, everything will fall.
- Oh! - Right? Pull it up slowly.
The walls will be thick.
Your hard work will pay off. Your dish will turn out good.
- Okay? Don't pull it too fast. - Okay, chef.
[tense music playing]
Celebrity cooks.
You have ten minutes left to finish 'No recipe pressure test'.
[tense music playing]
Your focus should be on all the elements on the table.
Ready to be assembled.
[tense music playing]
We have ten minutes left. We have to get to plating.
I immediately ran.
I ran to the freezer.
I brought the cheesecake back to my counter.
I put it safely on my counter.
Archana, did your cake tilt? Is it open?
Sir, I don't know how it opened up.
My mesh was open.
I don't know who opened it. I obviously closed it.
That's when I remembered something.
I didn't put the tape around. Maybe that's why it's open.
I put it safely in the freezer. I don't know how it broke.
These are short.
Make another one, Faisu.
It will set in about five minutes.
Maybe the temperature of the freezer was too cold.
It was on freezing mode.
Maybe that's why it happened.
But it will set in a while.
No, how will it reattach again? There's a crack on that.
I was trying to take out the cheesecake.
I was very scared. It wasn't coming out.
I was tense. If my cake doesn't come out well
all of my hard work will go in vain.
Not this. The ring.
Don't do that, Archana. It will ruin the cake.
Let it set for two minutes.
If it doesn't come out, you won't have an option.
Yes, Rajiv. That's it.
[tense music playing]
It is done, Nikki. Take it off.
Just a minute. It is a big chunk.
Didn't you chop the chocolate?
Put it in the piping bag before it sets.
I will do that.
[gasps]
Oh god!
[tense music playing]
Be careful, Archana. Be careful. The plastic will come off slowly.
- Be careful. - Do it with love.
Do it with love.
- Dude, what is she doing? - Do it softly.
- Focus. Focus. - Be quiet. Please, be quiet.
Archana, take off the bowl with your left hand first.
Don't talk. Let her focus on that.
Move the bowl. Move the bowl. Listen to me.
[tense music playing]
Come on! Good!
Good! Good! Good!
[tense music playing]
Celebrity cooks.
This is the first season of Celebrity MasterChef.
This is our last black apron challenge.
You have five minutes left.
Come on!
Faisu, very good. That looks great.
[tense music playing]
My matcha cheesecake was ready.
I looked around me.
Everyone made designs on top of it.
I think my design wasn't proper.
I had to make a marble.
From what I can see, Archana didn't apply the marble effect.
I was feeling a bit confident.
My marble effect turned out to be decent.
Archana's cheesecake is dark green in colour.
She made something entirely different.
[tense music playing]
I can see the mesh was well set.
But when I started taking out the plastic from the mesh
it entirely broke apart.
[tense music playing]
When my mesh broke apart
I was wondering what was happening to me.
Why did the mesh break apart now? How can I melt milk chocolate
and white chocolate now? What do I do right now?
I didn't know what to do.
Teju kept asking me to heat it up.
I started heating it again.
I filled it in the piping bag again.
I made the mesh quickly.
I made it with white chocolate anyhow.
My mesh was ready. It was set.
I made it taller.
I gave it some effect.
When the candy floss is set, it will look good.
Sir, I am done. I am done.
I finished mine before you.
Fine. The taste matters more.
Don't give me your attitude.
Look at your mesh. How do you think that looks right?
[laughs]
Look at his mesh. It doesn't even look like a mesh.
Don't be overconfident, Archana.
You were overconfident.
- I have been saying it from the start. - You didn't help me.
- Do you get it? - Turn that way. Turn that way.
- Turn that way. - You didn't even help me.
- Nonu. Nonu! - I am asking you to open the oven.
I am not Nonu.
- I am Rajiv. I am not Nonu. - Stop it, you.
Last ten seconds. Ten.
- Nine. - Eight.
Chef said, 'Eight'.
I shifted my attention to the mould of the mesh.
It was a plastic mould.
I started taking it off slowly.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.
When chef said, 'Three', I pulled it out.
- Three. - Two.
One.
Your time is up. Take a step back.
Good job! Good job!
Killed it! Killed it, guys! Killed it!
[clapping]
In the last black apron challenge of the semi-finale
whose stardom will prove itself?
Oh my!
For the last time before finals, it is time for tasting.
[clapping]
Now it is time for tasting.
We will now know the next three finalists of Celebrity MasterChef.
But Chef Vikas brought a surprise for you.
I have a surprise for Chef Vikas and all of you as well.
[tense music playing]
[cheers]
[clapping]
So cute!
Hello.
[clapping]
Hello.
Chef Vikas always says there are three important people in his life.
BK is on top.
Bindu Khanna.
Meet Bindu Khanna.
Chef Vikas's mother.
Hi.
- Hello, aunty. Bless us. - Hello, aunty.
- Bless us. - Bless us.
Now she will reveal the secrets of Chef Vikas.
Right!
I want to ask you one thing first.
Whom do you like the most in Celebrity MasterChef?
No one could believe her initially.
She is a big actress and a director.
Choreographer. Dancer.
She could be a judge of the show.
I told you I will give you 1000 rupees.
[laughs]
Unbelievable.
No one believed she could be a judge when the show was announced.
But today
- she is a number one judge. - Well said!
[clapping]
Who is your favourite celebrity cook?
Tell me who isn't good among them.
- Oh wow! - Aww!
- First of all... - World peace crown.
I would like to mention Nikki first.
Nikki and Vikas have a unique rapport.
When he was going to Manipal...
My elder son is an engineer.
- Yes. - He qualified for engineering.
He said he wants to go to Manipal to become a chef and I agreed.
I didn't like it back then.
People said, 'He wants to become a bawarchi'.
When he came back as a chef
and the position he is in today
makes me prouder than ever.
Aww!
What do people call you in Amritsar?
Vikas's mother.
I couldn't believe it. He reached great heights in life.
There was a president of America
who had a meal with him.
He made a meal for a lot of people.
[soft music playing]
Archana.
Did you hear that? His mom wasn't happy about this initially.
Look at her now.
He proved himself with his hard work.
Yes.
He is Vikas Khanna.
Whenever I went to his school, I came back crying.
He got so many complaints.
Because he does the opposite of what the teacher asks him to do.
He did the opposite for his profession and for his education too.
Now everything has turned upside down.
I still can't believe that he did all of this and succeeded.
I heard that you read all of his contracts.
I get all the contracts. He doesn't know anything.
I am telling the truth.
One day he asked me whether he was making any money or not.
[laughs]
He is earning, isn't he?
- He is earning very well. - Good.
He earned respect and reputation. That's over the top.
[motivational music playing]
She is not a mom to me. She is my best friend.
She is my world.
You might not know this.
My mom started her career at the age of 48.
48 years.
She started her career at Lawrence Gardens.
Back then, no one thought she would make it.
They expected a housewife to do what she generally does.
We started a small kitty party hour with her.
I am where I am today because of her.
Only because of her. No one else gets the credit. Not even God.
All the credit goes to her.
[clapping]
It makes me feel so good.
I like talking to Bindu aunty and Vikas.
Because they have spent tougher times together.
Whenever they talk about those times
they only do that with a smile.
When a family goes through tough times together
and be able to talk about it with a laugh and share it with others...
For me, those are the moments I take back when I sit with them.
Just to let you know.
My mom wanted to be a pilot.
- But she couldn't. - Wow!
My mom drove a car from Amritsar to Srinagar when she was 14.
Oh my god!
[clapping]
Now wish them all the best.
Three out of four celebrity cooks will become finalists.
Everyone is doing great. I watch this every day.
- We get feedback every day. - Everyday.
Aunty gives us feedback every day.
Do you know what happened today?
We don't have to watch the episode. We get a live telecast every night.
Mom, you must congratulate them.
- Congratulations. - Wish them best of luck.
- Best of luck to all of you. - Thank you.
They are already the finalists.
- We need your blessings too. The finals week will start. - Please.
Best of luck for that.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
I want to say something.
Everyone in Amritsar speaks about one thing about the show.
- Nikki had an incident with brinjals. - Yes.
She said, 'Are you from Switzerland? Don't you know brinjals?'
Yes.
We cannot believe a judge would come up with that.
Unbelievable.
Your brinjals are famous.
Farah made it famous.
[clapping]
- All the best. - Bye, thank you.
- Best of luck. - Bye, aunty. Bye. - Bye.
You got her blessings.
Let's get to tasting.
[tense music playing]
Nikki, let's start with you.
Bring your dessert.
I started working on the candy floss.
There was only one thing on my mind at the moment.
I made this dish on many technicalities.
This is a New York-style cheesecake.
How will it taste? How is the texture? I don't know.
I am taking it to them with hope.
[soft music playing]
Let's talk about the presentation.
Marbling could have been better.
Marbling has an effect.
We use two different colour batters.
We use a skewer.
We mix it together to give it a marble effect.
You didn't mix it well.
You just made lines of dark matcha color, right?
I am really proud of you for putting all the elements on the plate.
Your effort will get full marks.
The color of matcha looks excellent.
It is important.
Secondly.
You became so confident making these after a few trials.
Amazing.
You used hazelnut.
This part has strength in it.
It came from this portion. It is amazing.
I appreciate the fact that
you made the chocolate cage trice, right?
Three times.
You found some time to keep making the cage again and again.
I really like that.
- You didn't give up. It was easy. Chocolate is temperamental. - Yeah.
You worked your way around chocolate which was nice to me.
[tense music playing]
Nikki, there are different variations of sugar in this dish.
Everything has a different temperament.
Everything has a different taste profile.
All those taste profiles stood out in this dish.
The crumble you served at the bottom
is the base of the matcha cheesecake.
I think it is dense.
Besides that, I love the flow of the dish.
Nikki, everyone knows this by now.
I don't like sweet dishes.
I don't like matcha.
I don't like chocolate as well.
But surprisingly, I like this one a lot.
It is too good.
You put strawberry and sugar together.
If you just give me that as a candy
- I will eat a full bowl happily. - Wow!
- Good job, Nikki. - Thank you.
You did a great job.
You understood time and temperature when it came to chocolate and sugar.
Right?
There are many techniques to talk about.
Sugar work, chocolate, baking...
up until candy floss.
You understood the techniques well.
Temperament of your ingredients is well balanced.
Four out of five parameters worked wonderfully for me.
Coming to the taste
if the marbling were better
and matcha would have been spread evenly
it would have been more effective.
For me, that is the only thing I want to point out.
Otherwise, time, temperature, temperament and technique
are all executed very well. Okay?
Frost all your teas.
- Well done. Thank you. - Thank you, Nikki.
All went well.
All I pray for is that
if someone's cheesecake had more corrections than mine, I will be safe.
Archana, please bring your dessert.
I am an expert in making candy floss.
I made the candy floss. I took my dish to the judges.
I explained to you how marbling works.
The second batter which you use for colors will be less.
It will be less so that you can make streaks out of it.
It will stand out.
You added so much of it.
It will dominate the batter which is under that.
[tense music playing]
From the looks of it, it is clear.
There's too much matcha in it.
Too much matcha will make the cheesecake sour.
Right? But there are good elements.
You created beautiful elements.
Those look interesting. But cheesecake is the main hero.
I think the color of it tells me
it could be sour.
[tense music playing]
Archana, this cake is underbaked for me.
It is a paste in the middle.
It happens when it isn't fully baked.
The batter.
Batter remains the same in the middle.
- Okay. - There's that.
Do you see the difference here?
This is baked. This is underbaked.
Okay.
If I speak about techniques
and talk about understanding of time and temperament
your dessert is good.
But taste and cooking wise,
it lacks a lot.
[tense music playing]
I want to talk about crust.
The first thing that doesn't strike me
is that crust is a simple recipe.
I feel your crust is weak.
But I do feel that
when you got nervous halfway through
you didn't pay much attention to the cake which was main element.
Sir, I thought 42 minutes was too much.
I thought it would be overcooked. I have no idea.
I don't know about cheesecake.
When you got the challenge
chefs were telling me how
you have a connection with your pan.
You get a taste every now and then. You add ingredients accordingly.
Baking is an entirely different process for those people.
It is difficult as you cannot see what is happening inside the oven.
You opened the oven many times.
What happens when you do that is
the heat escapes from the oven.
I regret opening the oven so many times.
Why did I do that? I shouldn't have done that.
Archana, I must compliment you. You never give up.
You are an innovative person. You find a way to make it happen.
If I am being honest, compared to all of them
you are in such an uncomfort zone.
Hmm.
They say it isn't cooked well.
That must be it.
Everything else looks beautiful.
It looks good. You can create great tastes.
This cake isn't reflecting that taste today.
- Yes, madam. Okay, madam. - Let's see what happens.
- Okay? Thank you, Archana. - Thank you, madam.
I feel very bad.
I think deep down I feel that
I would be the celebrity cook that would leave the kitchen.
I won't give up yet.
There are still two dishes left.
[tense music playing]