MasterChef contestants tackle the one lakh challenge

The three judges on the show Chef Ajay Chopra, Chef Kunal Kapoor and Chef Vikas Khanna discuss what the 1 lakh dish should be alongwith famous cook book author Nita Mehta & Chef Chetan Sethi of famous restaurant Zaffran.

Chef Kunal Kapoor explains, “We are giving them various techniques which no one has seen in India yet. They are modern, European style of cooking and equipment. There are only a handful of chefs who use it in India. The contestant who uses these techniques and creates a fantastic Indian dish will win this challenge. What’s more Chef Saby will include the dish in the menu of his restaurant which will be a huge honour. The dish therefore has to be path breaking with the same ingredients they use daily yet create a revolutionary dish. A dish becomes priceless with the amount of love poured into it.”

Chef Vikas Khanna adds, “A dish worth 1 lakh is almost 2000 dollars which is a lot of money. First of all the dish has to have a striking balance between innovation, creativity and certain theme. People gravitate toward appealing food. The ingredients have nothing to do with the dish as it would be a personal choice for the contestants. They have to feel what they are doing. They should take a regular classic dish and surprise us with their innovation. Their dish has to be so simplistic that it makes other chefs think- why didn’t I think of making this? That is what makes it priceless. I am a purist and when I cook food, if it evokes an emotion in you it becomes priceless.”

Chef Ajay Chopra says, “What should a 1 lakh dish be? Well a superb combination of flavour, texture and presentation. It has to be remarkable. As for what ingredients should be present in such a dish will be according to their taste, preference and dish. But they should be in appropriate proportion. And what makes a dish truly priceless is the innovation and right blend of flavours.”

Nita Mehta claims, “The winning dish would need some mouthwatering flavours blended properly and beautiful texture. The contestants have to be creative and innovative. As for ingredients in a dish well the most simple ingredients can make a dish exotic while the most exotic ingredients can ruin a dish if not brought well together. They have to be combined in a proportion to stand out. The one lakh dish should be one that is unusual but has universal appeal.”

Chef Chetan Sethi feels, “What makes a dish priceless is the mixture of flavour, texture and innovation. I have invented and recreated many dishes -especially Butter Chicken which is the most famous dish in my restaurant. I have a secret ingredient that makes it different. I also made a soup of grapes which has a new twist that worked and made the dish remarkable.”

Check out who wins this challenge on MasterChef India Season-2 on Saturday & Sunday at 9pm only on STAR Plus.