Chef by Chance

A darling of the MasterChef Australia kitchen in the fifth season,India born Rishi Desai talks about his pursuit of modern Indian cooking.

Rishi Desais fondest childhood memories belong to the spice store run by his mother,Uma in Kolhapur. Growing up in a home full of food lovers,it was natural for Desai to pick up a skill or two. But he didnt imagine that the steadily growing passion would land him a spot on MasterChef Australias recently concluded fifth season. His elimination ironically,in an Indian dish challenge sent him home a step before the finale. Nevertheless,it has earned him a spot under the sun and the 36-year-olds latest visit to his home country is to kick off a three-city tour as part of the ongoing Celebrate Australia festival. Ahead of his first cook-out in Bandras Natures Basket on Friday,Desai spoke about his culinary passion.

How did you begin your culinary journey?

We had a 14-member joint family with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian members so my mother would cook a variety of dishes. I started cooking at the age of five. I end up in the kitchen whenever I am stressed or happy. I moved to Australia five years ago. I would watch all the episodes of MasterChef Australia and try out recipes at home. On one such occasion,my wife suggested that I should audition. And I made the cut.

People backed you on social media upon elimination? What are your thoughts?

Yes,some said that the show was rigged and I shouldnt have been sent home. But I did make a couple of mistakes where I over-cooked the mussels in the curried mussles soup.

Which is your most memorable episode on the show?

The whole week when Heston Blumenthal visited,is memorable. He is my culinary hero. Though he owns a a three-Michelin-starred restaurant,he is simple and humble. For one of the challenges,I made Soya caramel on Maharashtrian modaks. Initially,Heston said that the combination might not work,but after tasting my dish,he told me Id nailed it. I almost fell to the floor.

Where do you see your culinary pursuits taking you from here?

I still work full-time with the government of Australia as a manager of patent examiners. I pursue my food dream over the weekend. I have done about five pop-up restaurants with six-course modern Indian meals paired with Australian wines. Currently,I am working on a cookbook on modern Indian cooking,which should be out early next year.

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Could you elaborate on modern Indian cooking as you see it?

Indians often chuck their proteins in the curry whereas it can be the hero of the dish. Also,Indian cooking makes use of a lot of spices,which burns our taste buds. So one of the key aspects is highlighting the proteins. One of my dishes is the Kolhapuri slow-cooked mutton where I cook the meat for 12 hours at 90 degrees and mix it with the Kolhapuri spices. The dish is then served on a bed of cauliflower puree with a poppadum on the side.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com

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MasterChef Australia