Nayanjyoti Saikia on winning MasterChef India season 7: ‘Gaining self-confidence was my biggest learning’

Congratulations on your win! How does it feel?

My MasterChef journey has been very interesting! When the results were announced, I was feeling numb. I couldn’t believe that I have won the show. For a long time, my mind was blank. It was when fellow contestants started cheering for me that I realised that I have won. Honestly, it was a really good moment for me.

What have been your biggest learnings out of participating in MasterChef?

Gaining self-confidence was my biggest learning, for sure. Neither did I expect the chefs to like my food nor did I imagine going this far in the journey. Though I tried pushing myself to do better, there was always lingering self-doubt. Gradually, that self-doubt turned into self-confidence. I have always been extremely shy and an introvert, so getting that confidence was the best part for me. I met so many people and learned so much from them.

Which was the most challenging part of your MasterChef journey?

The most challenging task for me was the 100-step ‘Safarnaama’ dish by Chef Saransh Goila in the semi-finale week. That recipe was very tough for me because it had a lot of different spices and ingredients. For other contestants, this task was comparatively easy because the subzis present in that dish were either already eaten by them or made by them. For me, however, those were completely new. Since I was reading the recipe again and again, I lost a lot of time and I was afraid I won’t complete that dish.

You also revealed that your father was initially against the idea of you becoming a cook. Why was that?

Initially, he wasn’t happy with the idea of me becoming a cook. But after MasterChef, in fact, ever since the auditions, he is incredibly happy. Actually, he wasn’t aware that MasterChef is such a big platform or that I could actually make it. Perhaps, that’s what made him a little hesitant and didn’t want me to continue. Tinsukia is a very small town and there aren’t enough opportunities to open your own restaurant. That’s why he didn’t like the idea. But, after I finally reached the show, he got very happy and has been very supportive.

You were often credited for giving a modern touch to Assamese cuisine. What is your take on this?

Assamese cuisine consists of extremely ‘comfortable’ food items. It contains fewer spices and can be consumed regularly. It has subtle flavours and is quite unique. Not just Assamese, the Northeastern cuisine, in general, is quite different. So, presenting it in the modern way — like it’s done in any fine-dining restaurant — was extremely challenging for me but I tried to balance its flavour and taste.

What do you think can be done to make regional cuisines mainstream?

Though there are several Indian dishes which make it to fine-dining restaurants, a lot of regional cuisines are still unknown to people. They remain limited to their respective regions and fail to move beyond them. This is what chefs should think about. Indian food is not just butter chicken, or butter paneer, or naan. India has such a diverse range of flavourful cuisines in every region, community, and state. If chefs begin presenting them in a modern way, Indian food can become extremely popular just like French food. Indian food has diversity and uniqueness which can take it forward.

Apart from Assamese, which cuisine is closest to your heart?

I love Southeast Asian cuisine, such as Thai and Malaysian. It is because they are quite similar in flavours to the cuisine in northeast India. They also have a South India touch, such as a coconut-based curry. It’s like a blend between the South and Northeast, and I love that. In the starter dish I served in the finale, I tried doing exactly that. It has an Indian kick but with a unique twist.

Which chef do you look up to as your inspiration?

I have grown up seeing chef Sanjeev Kapoor on television. I have always tried following his recipes. Alongside this, I have been following Chef Vikas Khanna for a long time now. I consider them idols, so working with them was very big and memorable for me. Apart from them, I really like Reynold Poernomo, a Masterchef Australia contestant, for his desserts. I tried to follow his techniques.

If not you, who did you see winning this show?

Had I not won the show, I would have loved for Gurkirat Singh or Shanta Sarmah or Kamaldeep Kaur to win.

This season was repeatedly criticised for favouring certain contestants. What is your opinion on these allegations?

When we were in MasterChef, we never felt that the show was biased toward anyone. But, a lot of people on Twitter were saying so! Due to all this trolling, some contestants felt really bad as none of us ever felt the judges favoured anyone. After the shoots, Chef Vikas Khanna and Chef Ranveer Brar always advised us to not pay heed to such opinions and not to let them affect our performances. So, we avoided such comments.

Finally, what’s next for you?

Though I am getting a lot of offers, I am planning to start a travel-cum-cooking show on YouTube or Instagram. I wish to showcase Northeastern food and ingredients in a modern way through this show. After MasterChef, a lot of people told me that they were unaware of this cuisne and find it interesting, so I want to be able to showcase the same to them.

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