I got an opportunity to watch 'Masterchef India' show Saturday night. The format of the show, its quality, the competitive nature with a touch of humanity and professionalism makes the show wonderful. It was fun to watch the contestants learn to make a 'Malabari Paratha' from the Chefs, though none of them had heard of the same. It was equally fun to watch the contestants then attempt to make it themselves by swirling the dough like a 'roomali roti' and then elongating it and tying it up like a mini turban! One also learnt to make a '70 mm dosa'! Though all contestants failed in the first attempt, many were good in the second attempt. Oiling the tawa, removing excess oil by sprinking water, then smearing the tawa with onion attached to a knife to avoid dosa sticking to pan, then sprinking little water again to check temperature of tawa before putting the batter on it! Then spreading the batter in circular motions without lifting the flat bowl which was used to do the same.... We've watched our local dosa-wallas do it all the time, but never understood the techniques. It was fun to watch (maybe we can even give them competition by having our own dosa stalls!). The nervousness of contestants and end-results of food items were fun to watch too!
In the final round we had Akshay enter with his 'Khiladi Sizzler' (his own creation way back in Bangkok!). He made it in 45 mins flat and challenged others to make it too! It had noodles, vegetables, sprouts and momos with a touch of 'masala' and the end result looked appetising and pleasing to the eyes! Askhay's comments, encouragement, advise to contestants alongwith his presentation of the show with humour thrown in, made the show more interesting. When he advised one contestant to smash the ginger in Indian style by using the 'mukka' over a ginger over which a knife was kept horizontally, it had the contestants in splits! All of us smash ginger and garlic under spoons/ knifes on in the primitive crusher while in shows people have to cut them into tiny pieces, which is very unlike us Indians! Trust Akshay to find humour in such a mundane thing! This quality was also seen in his earlier show 'Khatron ke Khiladi' which was fun to watch when he hosted it last year. Though I'd watched Askhay in one preliminary round episode of 'Masterchef India' last week, I found the main show more wonderful and his style very professional. This is definately not just any 'cookery show'. It has 'class' and Akshay!
Next day (today), I had my younger brother call in from Pune urging me to watch the wonderful show (which was being re-telecast). And I could proudly tell him I'd already watched it! :-)
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