[theme music playing]
'In the Celebrity MasterChef Finale Week,'
'Chunky Panday is joining us today to light up the MasterChef Kitchen!'
- 'I am about to open a restaurant. - That is true.'
'So, I will take two things from here.'
'What are those two things?'
That would be these two chefs.'
'Chef Vikas and Chef Ranveer!'
- 'What? - Oh!'
'And joining us to challenge our celebrity cooks'
'are the renowned chefs of the culinary world.'
'Executive Chef of JW Marriott Juhu,'
'Chef Gaurav Malhotra!'
'Welcome, Chef. Welcome!'
[applauding]
'Welcome!'
- 'Hi, Chef. Welcome! - Hi, Chef. Welcome!'
'The Head of famous restaurants like Mulk and Miniyaturk,'
'Chef Ishijyot Surri.'
[indistinct]
'Welcome!'
And Chef De Cuisine of
'Grand Hyatt Hotel's SOMA Restaurant,'
'Chef Reena Samby.'
'Welcome, ma'am. Welcome!'
- 'Welcome, ma'am. Hi! - Welcome, ma'am!'
'Today, our celebrity cooks'
'will go head-to-head with these three top chefs!'
'Today's challenge is a race to create the number one dish.'
'If any of our three guest chefs'
'make the top dish of the day,'
'one of our celebrity cooks will be going home.'
'What?'
"That means the one whose dish will be at the bottom today'
'will have to leave the kitchen.'
- 'Oh! - Oh my God!'
'You have to save your own tribe today.'
'If one of you will make the top dish today,'
'all five of you will be safe.'
'The challenge to create the top dish'
'is time against the ingredients.'
[upbeat music playing]
'Meaning, more time to cook means fewer ingredients to work with.'
[tense music playing]
'Today, every time bond will have a pantry box.'
'And a new pantry box will open every five minutes.'
'Abracadabra!'
[tense music playing]
'The first pantry box opens at the 100th minute.'
- 'Okay! - Oh!'
- 'Okay! - Fine.'
'If you want, you can take those ingredients and start cooking.'
'Similarly, you can start at the 95th minute.'
'You will get both the pantry boxes.'
'Oh!'
'The one who chooses this pantry box late, '
'they will get less time to cook, '
'but they will get ingredients from more pantry boxes.
[suspenseful music playing]
'So, let's start today's challenge.'
With Mr. Chunky's permission shall we start the challenge?
- Oh! You have to lift that up, right? - Yes.
Come on, ready?
- Ready! - Yes!
So, all eight of you have to choose now.
- Yeah! - First, we will reveal the 100 minutes pantry.
- Okay! - Those who want that pantry can start cooking with it.
The rest of them will wait for five minutes.
- Oh! - Each pantry will be revealed every five minutes.
- God! - All right?
- Okay, Chef. - Choose wisely.
- Yes, Chef. - Panic, but don't wait too long.
Yes!
Chunky, can you open the 100 minutes pantry?
Mind-blowing!
[suspenseful music playing]
Abracadabra!
[tense music playing]
- What is this? - 100 minutes start now.
The first pantry has all the staples.
It has oil, vinegar, butter,
yeast, flours, sugar.
We call this support pantry.
So, for those who
want to cook with 100 minutes pantry, raise your hands.
Does no one want it?
I think we can open
- the second one too. We can barely make anything with this. - Yes.
If no one is choosing 100, then we will move on to 95 minutes.
- 95 minutes. - I want chocolate to make dessert.
[Gaurav] 'I thought to myself, this is one challenge before the finale'
'Today, I want to make a savoury dish.'
'I want to make something different.'
'I want to cook something the judges won't expect from me.'
'I'm just waiting for the vegetables.'
They are opening the next one.
Ready?
- Ready! - Three, two, one. Open!
[suspenseful music playing]
Oh my!
- Spices! - Oh my!
- Spices. - I want to make desserts but we have herbs here.
You have 95 minutes.
The greatest gift this land of India has given us
- is our spices and herbs. - Yes!
- Okay. - They're right here.
Does anyone want to cook with staples and spices?
Oh my God!
- Oh! - What?
- Brilliant! - Oh my!
Oh my God!
- What? - Come on!
- You... - Why are you doing this to us?
- Why are you... - You will not get the ingredients
- after this. - You will also get more time.
If you cook with these...
- You should choose the one with 55 minutes. - You love me, right?
- Listen... - That's why I chose more time.
- You will get 95 minutes and use just these. - That's enough.
- Enough? - I have to compete.
- Chef, you are taking more time and fewer ingredients. - It's enough.
I have to compete with you.
- Look at my size. What do you... - Listen to me.
- Don't you think you should choose 55 minutes? - What will he cook?
- He said he wants to compete with Rajiv. - That's enough.
- This is enough to beat him. - He wants to beat Rajiv.
It's fine then.
[Faisu] 'Chef Ishijyot went with these two pantries.'
'We were wondering how can he make anything with them?'
'It's quite difficult.'
'How can anyone do this?'
[Tejasswi] 'He is going to cook something with flour and spices.'
Chef Ishijyot, you can choose your ingredients
from 100 and 95 minutes pantries.
Your 95 minutes timer will start when you reach the counter.
- Oh! - Now, every pantry will open every five minutes.
- Oh my God! - Oh no!
Chef Ishijyot, your 95 minutes start now.
He is a chef. 95 minutes is a lot. He will cook in 5 minutes.
The dishes are challenges.
Silly man, it takes you only two minutes.
I get on your nerves in just two minutes!
[Ishijyot] 'I thought of two things first.'
'I have to make something simple, '
'but it has to be something that shows the current generation'
'that in Indian food we can use the same techniques'
'that they usually look for in Western cuisine.'
'That's why I thought'
'that instead of waiting around, I should prepare a simple dish, '
'but it with such innovation that any child can make it at home.'
Let me inform everyone that the Chef has started cooking.
- Look! - What are you cooking, Chef?'
Tell us, what are you making?
[Ishijyot] 'My today's dish'
'is Essence Of Punjab.'
'I had to keep my dish simple.'
'Secondly, it was North Indian or...'
'It was the household staple of undivided India.'
'Halwa holds a special place in Punjabi culture.'
'So, I wanted to recreate it.'
All right!
- I am telling you. - 90 minutes now.
The 90 minutes pantry.
After that, all three pantries will be available to you.
It's time to open that on three, two, one!
Oh no! What is this?
- Lentils! - Let him finish.
Grains and pulses.
- Oh God! - We have to make dal now.
- What is this? - Dal with tempering.
You have the staple pantry,
spices and grains and pulses.
- I just want some chocolates. - We can make dal bati.
Chef Gaurav and Chef Reena,
I want to know what you are waiting for.
What has to be in the pantry for you to start?
They are up to something.
We are waiting for meat.
Meat?
Oh my God! The competition is tough.
I am also waiting for protein.
- Protein! - Chef Gaurav is also waiting for protein.
Chef Gaurav is waiting for protein,
what are you waiting for, Gaurav?
The newbie Gaurav
wants to make a savoury dish. But I don't know
what is behind the boxes.
[tense music playing]
- So, it's a little risky. - What time is your cut-off, Gaurav?
We have ten boxes here.
My plan is to go halfway through.
If it is beyond that... That's my decision.
Whoa!
Who can go till 55 minutes?
- Sorry? - Who can go till 55 minutes?
- Teja! - Me!
If even one of us wins today, we are in the safe zone.
So, for me, thecha and chillies
- have been lucky. - No!
I will wait until I see chillies.
- Will you wait till 55 minutes? - Yeah!
- Me too. For chocolate. - Will you wait for 55 minutes?
Yes! If there is no chocolate,
I will go with 55 minutes.
I want to ask Tejasswi,
what is your cut-off?
Protein.
[Tejasswi] 'Every single minute'
'I'm wasting just standing there, '
'and watching the chef cook, '
'is a minute I'm losing for myself.'
'It's a minute where I could be making something but I'm not.'
'So, I decided it will be 80 minutes.'
'No matter what happens, I'll go with it.'
'I hope it's a protein.'
'I want a fish.'
'But now, I'll choose whatever I get.'
- Okay, five minutes are up. Let me open. - Ready.
I hope we get what we want this time.
What is inside the 85 minutes box?
Chocolate!
On the count of three, two, one.'
- Oh no! - Oh!
It has aromatics.
Garlic, ginger, onion, leek.
- Too good! - I chose ginger in the last challenge,
- so I don't want to go with this. - Gaurav,
- you won because of ginger. - I made a dish with galangal.
-This... - We can't repeat the dish. This is MasterChef.
- I want to do something new. - We've all cooked with them.
You have half the ingredient for thecha.
Will anyone go for 85 minutes?
- On the count of three, two, one. - Do you want to go with it?
- Are you sure? - No!
No one is going with it. So, wait for another five minutes.
[Rajiv] 'I want to make dessert today.'
I have decided to make a dessert today.
So, I will choose the pantry which has ingredients to make dessert.
While waiting for you, Chef Ishijyot is already halfway through!
[Gaurav] '75 minutes is my cut-off limit.'
'No matter which pantry box opens'
'or what's inside'
'I don't care!'
'Because now, I will cook'
'whatever I want with what is there.'
I want to tell all of you that the next two...
- If not... - Opening is quite critical.
- Correct! I won't wait. - The balance and power shifts.
Once you reach the 80-75 minutes threshold,
- many dishes that are possible can't be made. - True.
Okay? Because you would already be 25 minutes behind Chef Ishijyot.
Chef, go for it.
- Time for the next pantry! - Yes, Chef!
Come on! I hope it has something.
Please!
What are you thinking, Tejasswi?
I am hoping that it has protein.
You are hoping it has protein, if not, you won't choose this.
I won't. But at the same time
whenever I get 75 minutes to cook...
It has happened twice.
I haven't been able to complete the dish properly.
So, I will take whatever is in the 80 minutes pantry box.
[suspenseful music playing]
- Let's reveal the 80 minutes pantry. - What's in it?
- Protein! - Oh God!
Teju, you are lucky.
[sighs]
'I am excited.'
'Because I have chicken, lamb, eggs,'
tofu and paneer.'
So, finally, I could see my dish complete.
Who wants to go for this?
All right!
- Two people have raised their hands. - Go, Teju!
- Very good! - Whoa!
[Reena] 'I have 80 minutes to prepare my dish.'
'I chose lamb.'
'It's very tough.'
'Because it's not easy to convert a lamb into a dessert.'
Mom!
- Are you out shopping? Hurry up. - Come on, Teja.
- You are nicely taking your time. - Did my time start?
- Good call, Tejasswi! - Oh no!
I think it's a good call.
75-80 minutes are important.
I will go with the next one at all costs.
- Is 55 minutes not good call? - What do you think, Gaurav?
Chef, no matter what, I wanted to make savoury.
But I don't see the vegetables I want.
But now I will go with whatever I get.
[Tejasswi] 'I decided that instead of cooking'
'the entire chicken in 80 minutes, '
'I will make nuggets from minced chicken.'
'And since I have refined flour, '
'I can make a naan.'
'I couldn't make it last time in the 75 minutes challenge.'
[Reena] 'This is a lost recipe, '
'Gosht ka halwa.'
'According to people'
'lamb can only be used in curry'
'and kebab.'
'I am giving it a twist'
'and converting it into a dessert.'
Now, you all are in the dangerous territory.
- Chunky, open the 75 minutes box. - Farah,
- do you know I predict the future? - Tell us.
Nikki, raise your hand. Your dish is in this. 100%.
Chunky sir, I will take whatever is in the box.
- I don't have time. - I like that.
You are already 25 minutes behind.
- Improvisation. Correct? - Yes.
I will take it no matter what is in it.
You've got the job!
[cheering]
Yes!
- I wanted this. - Good job! I am going with it.
- Did you want this too? - Yes.
Ready!
[Gaurav] When I saw the fruits I realised I can make a cake,
ice cream,
and panna cotta.
Basically. I can make a dessert.
[Faisu] 'I went with 75 minutes.'
'I will at least be able to make something in 75 minutes.'
Make a good fruit salad.
[suspenseful music playing]
The fruits have opened at 75 minutes.
Guys, please!
It has berries,
oranges and lemons,
mangoes,
plums,
strawberries,
avocado,
grapes,
and passion fruit. But...
I can make something.
The only thing I can say is, what are you guys waiting for?
One element and I will run from here, sir. One element.
[Rajiv] 'I want to make chocolate today.'
'Chocolate is a core ingredient for my today's dish.'
'There are many chocolate components in it.'
'So, I want chocolates.'
'I will take the risk today.'
'I will wait for chocolate today.'
Once again, I mentioned the threshold is 75 minutes.
Every minute beyond that will cost you.
I hope you get the ingredients of your choice.
I pray you get the ingredients of your choice.
[tense music playing]
Teju, make a good dish, please.
Gaurav, make a fantastic dish
with alive elements.
[Gaurav] When the time started, '
'I took off the jacket'
'because today is the last challenge before the finale.'
'and now I've got to work really fast.'
'I am going to make Upside Down Plum Cake.'
[Faisu] 'With this my dish is Rosemary Sable.'
'This will be my dish today.'
'I will make it today. So, I started with Sable first.'
'I have 75 minutes today.'
'And I was waiting for fruits.'
Last time, I added too much cheese to my dessert.
I'm skipping cheese this time. It brings me bad luck.
So, I'm trying my best
to do a combination of dessert and savoury
that the judges might like.
I have high expectations.
If one of us wins the best dish, including me,
then none of us will be eliminated and we'll all make it to the Top 5.
We'll all try to win the best dish today.
And we're all giving our hundred percent.
I'm doing the same.
Let's see what happens.
Our competitors today are renowned chefs
and we're afraid of them
because their dishes will be better than ours.
We'll also give our hundred percent and try to do better than them.
Had it been me,
I too would have waited till the end like Chef Gaurav.
I'd have picked the ingredients of my choice
and would have made...
It's like choosing your own menu.
- Yes. - Yes.
And then made my dish, but...
Experience.
But still...
- And... - He has an experience of three decades.
[solemn music playing]
Sir, you're really intimidating them.
I swear! They have a buffet before them.
So many solid dishes... I mean, ingredients.
You have to make something.
[Nikki] 'I've decided what I...'
I know if I've almost made it to the finale,
then I can execute my dish, or why would I even be here?
I'm going to reveal the 70 minutes pantry.
What do we do? I don't know.
Oi, Aunt!
Ready?
- On the count of three, two, one. - Yes, ma'am.
[solemn music playing]
- Drinks! - This has alcohol.
I think we should have a glass each.
Bourbon whisky, white wine,
red wine, beer,
rum and vodka.
At 55 minutes, you're really going to need this.
- We do! We need it. - To get high.
[laughter]
I thought I'd wait for thecha's ingredients
because chillies were still not in sight.
Guys, let me tell you
you're at 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Where you've to make a dish from scratch
and also beat professional chefs.
[intense music playing]
- This is not a game any more. - Yes.
[intense music playing]
Oh my God!
Mamma Mia, I'm really scared for both of them.
Do you think they're joking?
- I think they are going to be choking. - [laughs]
All right.
Oh, he's about to reveal what's for 65 minutes.
[suspenseful music playing]
What do you want, Nikki?
Chillies and seafood.
What about you, Rajiv?
Chocolate. My main ingredient is chocolate.
In three, two, one!
Oh my God!
[unsettling music playing]
What is it?
For 65 minutes,
you have nuts and seeds.
Anybody for nuts?
Oh, we're already at 1 hour!
'I was constantly looking at the clock'
as there was barely any time left.
I was done with 10 to 12 minutes
and my cake hadn't gone in the mould yet.
It struck me that I had to preheat the oven
and I set it at 170*C.
Until I prepared the batter, the oven had reached 170*C
and I put the cake inside for 22 minutes.
Let me add to the confusion.
What!
Oh, God! Don't, Chef. Don't.
Let's open another box.
Come on.
Chocolate! Chilli...
Guys, make up your mind.
- Right. - Remember, you're not doing this for yourself.
You're doing it for everyone.
- Shall we? - Have faith, Chef.
- Nikki! Rajiv! - Shall we? Yes?
One more try for fish,
chillies and chocolate.
In three,
two, one.
- It's chocolate, right? Is it chocolate? - Seafood.
- My God! - What is it?
No!
- Seafood. - Seafood.
Nikki, the seafood is here.
[Nikki] 'At 60 minutes, finally, there was seafood'
'and I could see prawns.'
The moment I saw prawns,
I said to myself, "I'm making prawns but what about my thecha?"
I love seafood. Every time I see food, I eat it.
[laughs]
I'm joking.
Just one category is remaining, let me tell you this.
- It will either have chillies... - Yes.
- Or chocolate. - Or maybe chocolate.
So, will you wait another 5 minutes only for chillies?
It might not even have chillies.
I thought another five minutes wouldn't make a difference.
Even five seconds count,
but since I'm taking a risk, why not take a big one?
I waited another five minutes.
Not immature, they're daredevils!
55 minutes is next!
Next up is 55 minutes.
- Should I open it? - Absolutely.
- The last pasta! - Let's see what ingredients this reveals.
Please!
I used to be known as the last pasta,
now, people are going to call me the last pantry!
Chicken 55!
- [laughs] - [laughter]
Come on, Chunky! Go for it.
- On the count of three... - Chocolate!
- Two! One! - Whoa!
Chocolate!
Yes.
Whoa! Yes.
I was very happy with the ingredients in the boxes
but Rajiv was equally sad.
Rajiv was hell-bent on getting chocolates!
He was waiting for chocolates from the first box, gosh!
Chillies! For thecha again!
I didn't get chocolate.
I was eagerly waiting to get chocolate.
How can you not have chocolate?
How am I going to make my dish?
No!
Let's go, Start.
Come on!
This has carrots, bell peppers,
sweet potatoes, garlic, mushrooms
and sweet potatoes! [laughs]
[Gaurav] 'I had decided 55 minutes was enough time for me.'
'I think Nikki took a risk by opting for 55 minutes.'
Nikki has really shown she can do it and has the passion.
And she will give tough competition in the finale.
[solemn music playing]
Celebrity cooks, your clocks are now aligned.
55 minutes are remaining for you to finish your dishes.
And, Faisu!
Let me tell you what your advantage is.
Here's your advantage.
At 55 minutes,
which means starting now until the challenge ends,
the entire pantry will be open to you.
Whoa!
What a great advantage! I wasn't going to forgo it.
I ran to the pantry and started picking up ingredients.
'I first picked up nuts.'
Followed by eggs, oranges and green chillies.
[gripping music playing]
Today's the time versus ingredients challenge
which I already found tough.
On top of that,
take a look there.
We also have to compete with professional chefs.
I opted for 75 minutes.
Initially, I wanted to make savoury,
then I decided to make my strength, which is desserts.
I'll deal with what happens, right?
If I'm a batsman, I'll bat. Why would I risk it as a bowler?
[music playing]
[Nikki] 'I have 55 minutes today.'
To be honest, the entire pantry is mine!
As the ingredients kept coming,
I kept thinking, "If not this, what else can I make?"
I was simultaneously thinking.
I was getting x ingredients and I could make so and so dish.
So, I had the option to make a dessert as well as savoury.
Finally, I decided to go with savoury
but the problem is that it's too big a risk.
If one of our dishes doesn't turn out to be the best,
the end result will be that one of us will go home.
So, we're not competing today.
We're working as a team.
[music playing]
Look, there was no chocolate which I wanted.
And obviously it was the most important dish...
I don't have the most important component of my dish.
Now, I can't complain. I have what I have.
With chocolate, I was going to make a bowl, a chocolate cylinder.
I'm making a pastry instead
along with passion fruit custard.
I'm adding caramel and a pistachio crisp.
Hopefully, the elements will make a nice dessert.
However, the most important ingredient in my dish was chocolate
which I did not get!
[music playing]
- Chef, what an honour to watch you on the show. - Hi.
What are you making, Chef?
Uh, I'm going to stuff chicken.
With... I've made an Indian mince.
And I'm going to do a nice chaat of mango and avocado...
- Nice. - And sweet potato.
- Mango, avocado, sweet potato chaat. - Yes.
What about the fennel?
- The fennel is as a garnish. - Okay.
Crispy fennel on the side.
- Something to lend it taste. - Crunch.
Crunch.
And mushrooms.
I'll temper the mushroom with curry leaves...
- Like an Indian spice. - Yes...
Bit of an Indian on a modern take.
- You mean, French style... - Yes.
And Indian style.
Wow, I love it.
What do you think of our celebrity cooks?
From their manner of working, they seem like professionals.
I think they'll give a tough fight
but like I said, experience matters. Let's see.
Yes. We're all very excited.
Once again, I think it's not about winning or losing.
- Overall... - Overall, yes.
It's a win for your mentorship and your big-heartedness.
- You know you chose to be here. - Yes.
- And celebrate something that is bigger than all of us. - Definitely.
- Thank you for that. - Thank you.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
[music playing]
- Chef. - Greetings.
Do you know?
It is thanks to you
that so many forgotten recipes
of undivided Punjab have come to be known.
The competition was definitely tough earlier
but Chef Vikas personally handpicked you.
It's going to be really difficult for them to be number one
but we're all very excited.
And I always say
your name should have been 'Ishkjyot' instead of Ishijyot
because people fall in love with your cooking.
- Thank you. - Chef Vikas and I were discussing just that.
He said he remembers you as 'Ishkjyot'.
What are you making?
- I'm making a halwa of wheat flour. - Okay.
With a tart.
- The tart is made with fennel seeds. - Okay.
Fennel is actually very refreshing.
So, I added that.
I'm going to cover it with a jaggery roti.
- Oh! Just like a topping. - On the top.
On the side, we have
- a mixture of rabri and cream with saffron. - Hmm.
It is a little thick, that's on the side.
And there's foam.
- Lovely. - Yes.
- Love you. - Thank you.
- Thank you for being a mentor to MasterChef. - Thank you.
Thank you for being a mentor to so many young kids.
- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you.
[Gaurav] 'To my left is Chef Gaurav.'
He's working so meticulously and at a fast pace.
I even went up to him.
I thought I'd talk to him, I'd get to learn a lot.
- Rushing now. - Why are you going so fast?
Why are you in a hurry, Chef?
It's because that's what we do in life and in our profession.
We've been taught to work fast
- in a limited time. - Chef!
You've not been taught to intimidate others.
Why are you scaring us by working fast?
I was... Look at my counter.
I've been working in a haphazard manner.
- Actually, you all are doing... - I'm getting scared.
You all are doing quite well actually.
I can just see that you all are cooking...
If you need anything at all, Chef,
be it tea, coffee or anything else, please let me know.
In return for a cup of tea, you must sit idle for 20 minutes.
- Done. - I think it's a very fair deal.
Perfect deal.
I've told Chef. Let's see.
I don't think his focus will falter
because people whose names are Gaurav have a focus that's...
[whimsical music playing]
What are you making, Tejasswi?
I'm making Byadagi chilli... I had one chilli.
Oh, this is parsley oil.
- I'll use a sieve to extract the green colour. - Hmm.
And I've made a Byadagi chilli sauce
with garlic, shallots, cream and jaggery.
And I'm going to crispy fry the chicken.
Instead of Panko breadcrumbs... I didn't have it.
I'm using dry kernels.
What will you do to them?
I'll grind them, add the chicken to it and then fry it all together.
I'm trying something new.
- It actually sounds so good. - Yes.
You need to make sure
- that when you grind the kernels, they're not too thick. - Hmm.
- They're hard. - No, look.
- They'll get stuck in the teeth. - Yes.
Did you lightly roast them?
No, should I do it now?
Too big.
- Listen. - Still big?
When you fry this...
Just hold it.
- Okay. - Just try to eat it.
Now, hold this...
- When you fry it... - It hardens.
- It'll harden like stone. - Uh-huh.
- Ideally... - Could you puff the kernels?
Slightly...
- Put them in a pan with some oil, put a lid... - Popcorn.
- They will pop. - Okay.
If you grind it after that, it will be soft,
- the crust will be good and won't stick to your teeth either. - Okay.
- Okay? It'll save you effort. - Okay, Chef.
[oil crackling]
[Rajiv] 'I was taking Chef Ishijyot's help'
'but he was barely helping me.'
He was responding in monosyllables.
I think he also wanted to win, that's why he wasn't helping me.
I was trying to get as much information from him as possible.
- Don't you think it would taste nice in caramel? - Yes.
- Yes? - Yes.
- Good flavour. - Yes.
- So, I have a tart. - Okay.
On top of it, I have a layer of passion fruit.
Next, I have the pistachio crunch.
Then I have... Did you taste this?
Is it good? You think it will taste nice with caramel?
Nice... Let's see.
- Today... - Do you think...
You can tell me that at least, Chef.
- It's good. - This does? Sure?
- It's good, sure. - 100%?
Okay. If the chefs say it isn't, I'll hold you accountable.
Sure.
I've seen that Rajiv is the only guy who tries hard.
It's fun to challenge such a guy.
He's ready to take a risk
and might end up doing something great and outdo me.
It's definitely fun to compete with such a guy.
Don't help him. He's not a good guy.
Hello! Which team are you on, brother?
Do you want to go home today?
- Oh! Sorry. He's a good guy, Chef. - What are you doing?
- How far through are you? - Brother!
How much time is left?
- Chef... - I'm done. I'm about to start plating.
- I'm just checking everyone's progress. - Oh, God!
I'm strolling with this waiting to plate my dish.
- Chef, I've also almost reached some stage. - Okay.
- Now, I'm going to add agar-agar and make jelly. - Imagine!
You're still working. I'm at the plating stage.
When will you finish? Will it be ready on time?
Chef, can I taste your dish?
- How could you not? You're Punjabi! - What can I do?
- Oh, there it goes. - No problem, Chef.
This isn't done. It's your first time,
- you're done and strolling about. - I will.
When I give it to them, you can try too.
Should I order tea for you?
I'll offer you everything
- but finish up quickly. It's almost time. - If anyone...
If any celebrity pesters you, please don't tell me.
Hey, don't say that.
I thought you'd say, there are two Gauravs
and you're the stronger of the two contenders.
- No. Chef Gaurav is stronger. - Please don't say that.
- He's so quiet. - He...
Shake hands with me.
Let's do it!
Celebrity cooks!
Chef Ishijyot is almost done plating.
Chef Reena is starting with the plating.
And you're still cooking.
You have half an hour left. Let's go.
[applause]
[Gaurav] 'Half an hour is up.'
'And I was thinking'
that I should make a sauce of the passion fruit I had picked.
I had decided to use it for piping my plate.
Chef, could you help me since you're done? Please.
- Just for... - Chef, please help me. You're right here.
I love you, Chef.
It'd be a nice gesture on your part.
He won't help. The chefs have forbidden them.
I'm in dire need of a mentor.
They're done. Look over there.
I think they can surely help us.
Hopefully...
Chef Gaurav seems quite serious.
I spoke to him a few times
and he replied only in monosyllables.
Well, you're smart enough to understand.
So, I am...
He's the first Gaurav who's barely talking.
I don't get it. Either his name is not befitting or mine isn't.
Something is definitely wrong.
- Nikki! - Nikki!
Yes, ma'am.
- Nikki took the least time, Chunky. - Oh, yes.
- Ah! - Why don't you take less time to get ready?
- Nikki! Nikki... - Yes.
I've heard that a lot of people here are jealous of you.
Who's jealous of me?
I can smell something burning.
- Her food's burning, Chunky. - No.
I feel people have cast a spell on you.
- So, in case your food gets burnt... - Yes?
Don't worry.
Just tell the chefs that this is a smoky charcoal flavour
from the Alps of the Himalayas infused into a flamb*!
[whimsical musical playing]
- Mamma Mia! - Oh, so sweet. She won.
You were joking.
- After you win... - Yes?
Bring the trophy straight to my restaurant.
- Do you know he has a restaurant? - Yes, ma'am.
You guys will get free meals.
Wow! Yes.
- I want a free chef first. - Oh!
Then free meals will be served.
Hey, Nikki. Listen.
I'll do one thing.
Nikki Tamboli, you spoke less than me.
I don't want my rice to get burned while I talk to you.
I opted only for 55 minutes.
- I know. If it gets burnt... - I need to concentrate.
- This... - May your enemies burn in hell!
Oh my God!
We didn't see this mug!
This is the cup.
Nikki and Arbaz
sitting on a tree.
How cute, Nikki!
Ma'am, my dishes have been lacking from the past 2-3 days.
So you brought this for good luck?
- Yes, he sent it for me. - How sweet!
He couldn't be here. So he sent this.
- All the best, Nikki. - Beautiful.
Thank you so much.
I'm sure you will definitely win this trophy.
Thank you so much.
Even if you don't win, just steal it.
[laughter]
[dramatic music]
I've started to make my naan.
I kept the naan on the pan.
Then I put some garlic on it.
And then
I roasted it on an upside down pan.
Faisu.
- Are you making a dessert? - Have some sweets.
Are you making a dessert?
Is this real?
- Can we eat it? - Yes, of course.
Faisu, what are you doing these days?
I'm free now and I've heard you throw amazing parties.
Please invite me.
I've been searching for a man.
Not for Ananya.
For my restaurant.
He's going to open his employment agency.
I think if I open a restaurant with Faisu,
girls will just line up!
Faisu, continue it.
[comical music]
Are you making a lamb halwa?
Chef, how are you?
Meat halwa?
I'm eating a meat halwa for the first time.
Eat it, Farah.
I've eaten this for the first time. It's so tasty!
And don't you dare eat halwa and wipe your hands on my shirt.
I didn't know you'd notice.
I've been noticing it that you're
wiping your hands.
[dramatic music]
Celebrity cooks, this challenge
might've started with five minute intervals for you,
but it will end in 10 minutes.
Let's plate.
I have 10 minutes left.
I have enough time. All my elements are ready.
But last time I made the mistake
of not giving myself enough time
for plating.
So this time I'm using all the 10 minutes just for plating.
If you want to make layers on it, that won't happen.
Not layers. I'm just covering the passion fruit.
There's four layers inside. I'm just covering the passion fruit.
[tense music]
Everything is ready.
It's time to plate.
- Nikki. - Yes, chef.
One prawn, some rice, and avocado.
- And... - Is your dish ready?
There's a tuile.
What happened to this? There's a tuile.
And I'm going to cook this sauce some more
and give it a slightly different flavour.
You don't have time to flavour it slightly differently.
Make sure the sauce ends up on the plate.
- No, it will. - Let's go.
For plating, I tape half the plate and add some sauce.
On the other side, as I go to cut
the chicken,
Chef Ranveer comes to my table and tells me
To create stable plating, there's something known as
- food architecture. - Okay.
Just how you make houses and buildings,
you need to build your plate.
If you add roti, you need to add some support behind it.
Just salad will not suffice.
If you have extra chicken and it's cooked,
use it as support.
Use something that will hold it in place.
But you only have three minutes left.
- Exactly. - The roti shouldn't fall off.
That will make your chances crumble too.
What if I bend it like this?
See? Better?
It should stay up till tasting.
As soon as I place a nugget of chicken on the other side,
it looks very ugly.
So I remove the nugget and add more salad
to keep the naan upright.
Finally, I've placed all the pickle and balanced the naan.
[dramatic music]
Done?
Yes, chef. Just working on the final plating.
There was no chocolate today.
I wanted to make a shard beside the cake, which didn't happen.
So I'm trying to make use of
what I've got.
I'm using this to
make a border
on the cake.
That's what I'm doing.
Your kada is shining today.
Oh.
This isn't
just a kada, it's my lucky charm.
Who gave you this?
My mother gave it to me. I've been wearing it since I was a child.
- It's surely lucky. - No doubt.
I've been wearing it since I was in school. Way before coming to Mumbai.
You know sometimes, you just feel out of place.
You feel
like it's not your day.
So I touch it and feel my mother's blessings.
It's her hand on me.
Everything will be fine.
Ishaan, my son, gets scared a lot.
He used to get scared at night.
We took him to a Gurdwara and got him a kada.
Then we took his kada
and turned it four times in front of the Gurdwara and gave it to him.
Whenever he gets scared at night,
he just turns his kada.
These things are powerful because of
the emotions that are connected to it.
Absolutely.
- Rajiv. - Almost there.
Whenever I come here, there's only crumble on your plate.
Look at this, chef.
Oh, nice.
But!
My advice! Listen to me. Please leave it.
Don't add it now.
It'll turn soggy in a minute.
What do I do then?
Get all your other elements ready.
When everything is on the plate, sugar should go last.
Then I add it?
Never add it.
You're going to miss me, chef.
- You're going to miss me. - One thing I'm going to say,
even though your counter is messy,
your plate always ends up looking good.
Thank you, chef. Love you too!
I've made the caramel net.
And it's a good net. I place it on top of the tart.
Like a king wearing his crown.
Like I'm wearing the crown of MasterChef.
It looked so good. I was so happy.
Celebrity cooks and chefs,
last one minute left.
Only one minute!
You better have finished your plating.
Now it's your last five seconds.
- What? - I'm joking!
I'm joking!
Last 30 seconds.
[dramatic music]
Time's up!
[laughter]
Last 10 seconds!
- Ten. - Nine.
[dramatic music]
Eight.
- Seven. - Six.
- Five. - Four.
Three.
Two.
And one!
- Let's go. - Hands up!
Time's up. Step back.
Let's see whose stardom fares.
Or not?
Celebrity cooks,
what a challenge! What a performance!
Who would've thought that one day,
you'd stand with professional chefs
and compete with them?
What a challenge.
Big round of applause for all of you.
And a big round of gratitude
for the chefs to mentor us.
[applause]
Time for tasting.
So now we shall start with
Chef Ishijyot and Rajiv for tasting.
First person to make the dish and last person to make the dish.
Chef Ishijyot, what have you made?
I've made a flour halwa
with a fennel seeds and jaggery tart.
There's a jaggery roti,
with saffron mousse
- and saffron rabdi. - Wow.
Rajiv, what have you made?
I've made a tart. The bottom layer
is a pistachio crisp.
There's a salted caramel and basil caramel.
On top, there's a passion fruit custard.
With a pistachio crumble and a sugar cage.
Outstanding. It looks so professional.
Even without chocolate, he managed it.
- Too good. - And chef has
- made it with least ingredients. - Least ingredients.
And beautiful impact, chef.
- Beautiful. - Fantastic.
Let's start with Rajiv's dish first.
[dramatic music]
Rajiv, the flavours are really coming well together.
I just feel that
if I'd gotten all the ingredients,
then I'd have added the colour of the berries,
a hint of colour somewhere
could've expressed itself with the variety you'd gotten.
It's a very tasty dish.
And you know, the sugar level
is so good.
It's not too sweet.
Fantastic.
Oh my God, even the pista praline,
that is the best part.
[dramatic music]
Oh!
It's so good.
Sir, where do we get the form
to be a judge for MasterChef?
Because when the food is so tasty,
I'd do the judging for free. Too good!
You'll have to pay.
- No one will take you for free. - I'm ready to pay.
- Nice. The jaggery roti is amazing. - The jaggery roti
is fantastic.
That dish ended at the bottom, here it starts at the bottom.
It's not easy to make this dish.
It's not easy to enhance this flavour. It requires devotion.
It requires patience.
The mind needs to be in almost a meditative mode.
Only then you can achieve this level of precision
and love in food.
Chef, it's amazing.
Right now,
I feel all the celebrity cooks need to be wary now.
But it was very close.
- Well done. - Thank you so much.
- Thank you. - Thank you so much.
I had my best presentation today.
So I'm very happy with my results.
I hope we win.
Alright. The next tasting will be
GK, GM.
Gaurav Khanna and Gaurav Malhotra.
G squared.
[pleasant music]
Gaurav, what have you made today?
I've made a plum cake
with passion fruit chilli sauce,
a mango foam,
and a basil crumble.
And the crisp on top
is made of fennel and clove.
What do we have, chef?
I've made a chicken roulade.
I've given it a modern, Indian touch.
It has a mince
with coriander flavour.
I've also made a chaat
of avocado, mango, and sweet potato.
I've cooked mushrooms with
mustard and cumin seeds.
The tuile is made of squid ink.
55 minutes and nine elements.
[applause]
Unbelievable.
Now this is what we call commendable, chef.
Thank you.
To be honest, both the dishes
look out of this world. I've never seen anything like it.
[dramatic music]
Chef, this mango and avocado
- is to die for. - Amazing.
I've never had such a combination with chicken.
Mango and avocado.
This dish is a perfect example for Indian cuisine
in a very global avatar.
The flavours are quite Indian,
but the look of it
is French-inspired.
I love
the combination and the subtlety.
If there's chaat,
the taste of avocado and mango aren't lost.
The roulade is shining through, not overcooked.
This is such a brilliant example of how to tackle and celebrate
many ingredients at the same time.
- Thank you. - Beautiful.
[pleasant music]
Shall we have some dessert?
[dramatic music]
Oh my God. Gaurav, it's
- divine. - Thank you, ma'am.
All the flavours are bold.
Passion fruit has chilli and sugar.
It takes you on a different tangent.
It's a very good dish, Gaurav.
- Thank you, chef. - Very good.
The biggest challenge with desserts
is to elongate the dessert.
To stretch it.
Because after a point, every bite tastes the same.
Here, you stretched your dessert.
And I love the touch of passion fruit and chilli.
It's a perfect example
of how to
make the dessert end on a good note.
Today, on MasterChef, I've definitely learnt one thing.
Us celebrities are quite pampered.
We can't even make tea. We don't hold our own glass of water.
And these people are cooking such good food here.
A big round of applause for them.
- Thank you. - Too talented. Multitalented.
God bless you.
You've lived up to your reputation that you've built through finale.
This dessert
and you are definitely living up to it.
- Thank you, chef. - You all should be very happy.
The scales are balanced now.
One for the team.
It was nice to hear that
despite competing with a professional chef,
I got good marks.
They praised my dish a lot.
And this was absolutely lovely.
Chef Reena and Nikki, please bring us your dishes.
Oh.
All the best.
Come on.
Tamboli.
- Let's do this. - Oh God, Tamboli.
[pleasant music]
Chef Reena, what have you made?
I've made a lost recipe.
Meat halwa.
Meat halwa?
Basically, whenever we see
lamb, we think of curry,
and starter.
Today, I've converted it into a dessert.
With a saffron rabdi.
Nikki.
I've made strawberry chilli prawns.
And prawn butter rice with garlic,
with avocado butter thecha.
Nikki, I've to say this, excellent plate.
If we serve a seafood course on the tasting menu,
this is an excellent plate for that.
And it's a plate that talks to you.
It invites you in.
Very inviting plate.
I love the fact that you used a white plate
because again,
when the plate is white, the food shines.
Here, it's not just food, it's Maharashtra.
You took avocado towards thecha.
And if you look at it, what's a guacamole?
- It's a Mexican thecha, right? - Yes.
You used that concept with avocado.
I absolutely love it.
When you say you cooked the rice
with prawn butter,
as a chef, it excites me.
Because prawn heads, that we usually throw away,
getting butter from it and cooking the rice in it,
is such a lovely thought. Scintillating thought.
Right?
So I absolutely love the concept of the dish,
the choice of the plate,
and the fact that it's so inviting.
Thank you.
Nikki, you've had quite a few misses
in the last two weeks.
There wasn't any dish
that was memorable.
It was breaking my heart.
Today, the layering of the prawn is like
you're eating in some top Michelin-star restaurant.
- Thank you. - Just the layering.
Thank you.
It hits me. It's so flavourful.
And the prawn butter is
wow!
The dish is so multi-layered.
Every ingredient
- is singing in a rhythm. - Thank you.
Nikki, come here.
Nikki, all I can is three words.
Nikki is back!
[applause]
The way Nikki's speed
was throughout the season,
she won the immunity pin, moved ahead without using it,
gave us back-to-back amazing dishes.
Suddenly, it felt like Nikki felt the pressure in the finale.
Or she's overwhelmed or the stage has suddenly widened.
You've cleared all the doubts today.
Today, I only have three words. Nikki is back.
And the three sounds you'll hear.
[screaming]
[cheering]
Wow.
Superb!
Thank you, chef.
Can I ask you a question?
These dishes you are cooking,
do you have a recipe book or do you come up with it?
No, sir, this recipe won't make it to your restaurant. Don't worry.
But where are you getting these ideas from?
- We'll tell you later. - They've been at it for months.
They're trained to do this.
We were setting them up for this.
Lamb halwa.
[dramatic music]
Outstanding!
Oh!
Too good.
If you'd not told me, chef, I'd have never known it has meat.
Unbelievable.
It's giving me the feel of
milk cake.
I'm thankful to you, chef.
A chef's important purpose is
to revive our old recipes,
old heritage in a new way.
And to honour them.
A lamb halwa
is made in different pockets of India.
The way you've celebrated it,
with a modern twist,
with rabdi and nuts crumble,
I think it's a very wholesome dish.
Thank you, chef.
A lamb can be transformed into a dessert.
It is just sheer magic.
And all of you have been witness to that magic.
Thank you for that magic.
Thank you.
I just want to know,
technically,
if this is a lamb halwa,
shouldn't it have the taste of lamb?
No.
- It's a deception. - It's a deception.
- That's the beauty of it. - Some dishes are cheat dishes.
They are made to deceive you.
This is one of those dishes.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
[applause]
Both sides are equally shining.
That's for sure.
The competition is tighter than we expected.
Lastly, Faisu and Tejasswi, please bring your dishes.
[pleasant music]
Teja, what have you made?
I've made chicken tikkas.
A jaggery and bedgi sauce.
I've made a naan
and a parsley oil.
I've also made a fennel, spring onion, and garlic pickle.
- And Faisu? - I've made six elements.
My dish is called rosemary sable with a lentil halwa inside.
There's a mango chilli cream on top.
And on the side you can see
there's a strawberry gel.
There's a mulberry compote underneath.
And I've also made a pista and hazelnut jam.
Both the dishes are looking
- stunning. - Stunning.
Faisu, if we talk about your plating, the jelly you made,
- Come here. - This
brown becomes a very depressing colour.
Too much brown on the face
would've destroyed the dish.
You haven't exposed the brown.
You broke it. I love the thought.
This shows that you thought out the dish completely.
- Yes, chef. - These things can't be done last minute.
- Right? - Yes, chef.
Other than that, I love the idea of
filling the sable biscuit
with a lentil halwa.
Another challenge to mix sweet and savoury.
For the thought
and how you executed it on the plate,
- full marks. - Full marks for that.
Thank you so much.
Tejasswi, quite a minimalistic plate. I like it.
Choice of plate is beautiful.
The elements invite you in
for one thing or another.
Either the oil or the sauce or the salad.
- It's just inviting. - Let's dig in then.
Dig in.
[dramatic music]
Oh. Too good.
The red chutney is solid.
The chutney has a ghee roast vibe to it.
Bedgi, jaggery, ghee,
that ghee roast vibe,
from Mangalore, South Karnataka,
It really captures that Mangalore
I think the chutney is the star.
But the way the chicken's cooked
and marinated,
plus that little hit of ginger in the salad...
It freshens up your palate. That gingery kick
just keeps you going.
I love this dish.
Thank you.
[applause]
Taking about the textures.
There's a nice little crust on the chicken tikki.
The naan could've been a bit softer though.
Because it's almost become a little difficult to cut.
Oh!
Feels a bit rubbery, really.
But one thing which I'm absolutely in love...
For which I'll go back to this dish again and again.
Is that chutney of bedgi chilli and jaggery.
And that crunch you added to the salad too...
That seasoning was spot on.
You could serve that as a restaurant side dish, easily.
Right, after this spicy chutney, time to try Faisu's halwa.
This should be fun.
[tense music playing]
- Wait, did you put chillies in the mangoes? - Yes.
It's too good, man.
Where were you hiding, Faisu?
[suspenseful music playing]
- That crust of yours is cracking too. - Thank you, sir.
The whole toor dal halwa idea is fantastic.
Gives off a bit of a phirni vibe.
The textures inside feel a bit dense though.
Tastes great. But I wish there was something
- to break up that density, some texture. - Okay.
Faisu, honestly, it's a cracking dish.
Bit tangy, bit sweet, Sable's earthiness, all of it works.
Lovely combination.
Those nuts you left on the side with the sugar...
If you'd crushed them and mixed them into the halwa...
You'd have that nice break in texture while eating.
So what we're saying is that it feels monotonous...
Little nutty bits mid-bite.
Bit of a crumble.
Gives that bit of contrast.
- That's the texture we're after. - Okay.
Just about having it here than there.
Ahh, got it now.
Secondly,
we make a chana dal halwa cannoli at our restaurant in Boston.
So we take chana dal halwa... Add some whipped cream and make it airy.
So it turns really light.
Not too heavy on the mouth, just enjoyable.
Doesn't sit heavy.
So with these two changes...
You've got a restaurant-worthy dessert.
- Really well done. - Thank you, chef.
[applause]
But well done, celebrity cooks.
You've kept our pride, our style, and our dignity intact...
Big, small, in-between, everything.
- And you've won my heart too. - Amazing!
I have fallen for all of y'all. Superb!
Right then, time for results.
- Results! - Oh!
Hold on, hold on, hold on. Results time?
You know how the bill always shows up after a meal?
- And that's my cue to leg it. - That is true.
Oi, Subhash!
Come on then, let's go. Get the car. Grab my bag!
What? A bag?
Yeah, yeah. Farah, I have thought,
I'm staying here till the finale.
So I brought clothes from home. Even packed a night suit.
[quirky music playing]
One sec. I've got a suspicion.
What suspicion?
No doubt about it, this is just like
how you got caught last time at the hotel.
Open up that suitcase.
[tense music playing]
- Chef, please open it. - What kind of people are these?
They invite me on the show...
- This is an old habit of yours. - It doesn't work this way.
[intense music playing]
Oh my God!
He's grabbed the whole pantry.
Mamma Mia, who slipped that into my bag?
Who did it? Old habits, that's what. Chunky!
Look, to be honest, not bad, not bad at all.
This stuff will be useful at my restaurant. Very good, very good.
Subhash, come on, pack it all up. Quick! Take it!
Mate, if things from the big pantry and kitchen
- go missing, what's the big deal? - Exactly.
You know who's to blame in all this?
- Farah ma'am. - You also do it!
Every time she pops into the pantry,
'Shall I take a bit of this... A bit of that?'
Everyone thinks it's a free-for-all.
- Total free-for-all. - My real mistake was
inviting Chunky here.
That's on me.
Right, where's the exit?
Go on, get going.
All the best. And may the best cook win.
Bye-bye.
See ya, Subhash.
'Aakhri Pasta is looking for his way out.'
Where's my bag? Bag?
Yep, I'll grab it for you.
Please put the bag in our car.
Huh?
What a day,
what a challenge, and what legends you got to cook with!
- Yeah! - Absolutely.
Let's have a big round of applause for all the chefs.
[applause]
What an honour for you all.
- Big honour. - Yeah!
- Absolutely. - Huge honour.
Huge honour. Thank you!
[applause]
Today's best dish was a complete dish
which had textures, flavours,
attention to detail, perfect time management,
and the ingredients used to perfection.
And that dish was made by
[suspenseful music playing]
Chef Gaurav.
[applause]
What?
So that means one of us is going?
Feeling nervous?
We were just as anxious.
Honestly, our real worry was that today
we'd end up with two top dishes.
[tense music playing]
It's a tie, guys.
Woah!
Chef Gaurav
- and Nikki! - And Nikki!
Nikki!
[applause]
Now, we have a dilemma.
The rule was,
if the chefs bag first place,
then someone goes home.
But if you do, no one gets eliminated.
[tense music playing]
I'd like to say something.
If the judges are alright with it.
- Please, chef. - Absolutely.
We professional chefs have been at this for years.
It's our passion.
And we've poured years into this.
This is what we've always done.
We've trained for this moment for years. Non-stop practice.
For us, this win means so much more because
a young talent like you stood out today. And your dish
was honestly inspiring.
Truly impressive. The creativity...
So for me, this win belongs to you.
- Not to us. - Thank you, chef. But...
- And I'd love to hand this win over to Nikki. - What?
So, Chef, no elimination?
[suspenseful music playing]
No.
[cheering]
[overlapping voices]
[applause]
Not everyone's willing to make that sacrifice.
He's got such a generous heart
to give up his win
just so none of us had to leave.
He's truly amazing!