09 January,2011 07:42 AM IST | | Aditi Sharma
Jimmy Seervai, the contestant from Sydney with Indian roots, cooked his way to fourth place in MasterChef Australia
The MasterChef Australia phenomenon, a cross between a game show, reality TV and a talent quest, has taken Mumbai by storm. SUNDAY MiD DAY reveals how the show has inspired foodies to dish out exotic meals right out of their kitchens
The Baked Vegetable in White Sauce has been tossed into the sink. The Gooey Chocolate Brownies lie in the bin. They've been meticulously replaced by Cappellini and Prawn in Green Peppercorn infused Vodka Sauce and Rose cr me brul ufffde. If the last two dishes bring on a wicked know-it-all smile -- you probably belong to the set that considered prime time reality food show MasterChef Australia your daily dose of food porn. Inspired by the reality cookery show, foodies across the country are upping their culinary skills and dishing out exotic meals right out of their kitchens.
Theme night
On a chilly December evening, entrepreneur and horse riding instructor Rohan More threw the kitchen at his farmhouse open to six friends. The challenge was to create a three-course meal that would be judged by a panel. The evening, of course, was christened MasterChef Evening. Strawberries and Calamari jostled for space in the freezer while every oven, stove and mixer in sight was occupied by the competitors.
The themed night gave More and his buddies the perfect excuse to show off their culinary skills. "Each of us wanted to officially earn the bragging rights of being the best cook," says More, who aced the competition.
Easy connect
Pastry chef Pooja Dhingra from Le 15 Patisserie believes MasterChef Australia is popular because the audience sees ordinary people like themselves trying to whip up interesting dishes. "There are many food shows on air. But the common man does not connect with them because, after all, they are professional chefs doling out information. With MasterChef Australia, viewers feel that even if they aren't trained they can still tackle complicated recipes."
Home-cooked haute cuisine
Whether it's with friends, family or guests, there is no better way to make an impression than with exotic home-cooked food. Film production executive Prapti Doshi clearly remembers the aroma of her first successful batch of cupcakes wafting through her home and the proud look her parents sported.
"Sundays are dedicated to cooking and baking," says Doshi, who likes the attention to detail on the show. "It got me thinking about what I could do with a particular ingredient if I was given a challenge. It helped awaken my creativity." Since then, she has signed up on daringkitchen (.com) and daringbaking.blogspot.com, two websites that challenge members to cook up exotic meals in their own homes.
Nouveau gourmands
In most cases, a spot of curiosity turns into unbridled passion. Soon enough, French and Italian cuisine is surpassed for Korean, Moroccan and Japanese fare. Like with Dr Riddhika Maitra, a physician at Tata Memorial Hospital, who recently impressed her family by rustling up Chicken Tajine, a Moroccan speciality. "I started off as a recipe book-dependent cook, but now I take more risks because I know what I can add and subtract," she says.
But not every kitchen gourmand is a fan. Neville Shah, creative director at an advertising agency, graduated from making his own dabba to slipping on the chef's hat at every barbeque party he attends back in Delhiu00a0-- mainly thanks tou00a0 Top Chef, another food show from foreign shores. Says Shah, "I started following the show when I was living in the US, because the recipes are simple and easy to make, and the ingredients are easier to source. However, with MasterChef Australia, I feel ostracised because a lot of the ingredients are not available in India."
Why the popularity?
When Star World decided to air the show at the prime time slot of 9 pm, they knew they had a winner on their hands. MasterChef Australia is a cookery game show high on pressure, drama and competition. "It's the kind of show that goes beyond cooking with its pace and action, and exposes you to exotic cuisines," says Saurabh Yagnik, GM and Senior VP, English channels, Star TV. What helped was that it provided easy "entry and exit points" to viewers.
In other words, you could start or stop watching anytime you wanted. "Viewers' interest and their engagement on social media surprised us. There was also a huge traction among the male audiences," states Yagnik. The channel is working on bringing MasterChef USA and MasterChef UK to India. "We'll rest the show for a bit and bring it back," he promises.
