'MasterChef India' contestant Suvarna picked up cooking watching shows

Mumbai, Jan 20

'MasterChef India' contestant Suvarna Vijay Bagul shared about her interest in cooking and learning the craft from watching cooking shows and her interest in introducing people to a variety of Maharashtrian cuisine.

Suvarna, who is a home cook from Mumbai shared: "When I arrived at the auditions for 'MasterChef India', there was a long line, but I was sure my dish, Maha Thali which consisted of Maharashtrian flavours would be chosen. By God's grace, I was indeed chosen. I have never taken a professional cooking course; instead, I used to watch cooking shows on television and follow chef Ranveer Brar's recipes. I have twenty to twenty-five years of experience in the kitchen, so I believe this has all paid off."

While talking about presenting her Maharashtrian dishes on the show and how she tries to make them in a different way, she added: "When Maharashtrian cuisine is mentioned, most people think of Puran Poli and Vada Pav, but there is so much more to it than that. In Maharashtrian cuisine, a variety of food is prepared according to the seasons and festivals, and I want to demonstrate this on national television. I am grateful for this chance and will do my best to impart a Maharashtrian flavour to every dish I prepare so that anyone who eats it would recognise it as a Maharashtrian dish prepared by Suvarna."

She further added: "To date, what I've learned from the MasterChef kitchen is to be confident in your own flavours; experimentation is encouraged, but one shouldn't stray too far from their signature tastes. I also discovered that the fewer elements one uses, the more one can focus on their meal. Sometimes we believe we should add eight or nine elements to a dish, but because of these factors, we fail to balance the dish. Therefore, I believe keeping fewer elements and keeping the food flavorful will aid in presenting the dish well and eliminate confusion."

'MasterChef India' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.