The third season of Chef Vs Fridge, Zee Café’s second original and most distinctive cooking reality programme in India, was well received by the audience. The fame game is at an all-time high in the nation as social media deepens its roots. Although everyone is vying for their 15 seconds of fame, Zee Café offers the contestants an opportunity of a lifetime. With Chef Vs Fridge Season 3, Zee Café thrives on Indians’ passion for food and offers the country’s talented chefs an opportunity to achieve notoriety. The new season welcomes back the two culinary geniuses Chef Ajay Chopra and Chef Shipra Khanna, who in the previous season wowed viewers with their enthralling performances as the hosts and judges while also producing some mouthwatering delicacies.
We spoke with the Master Chefs themselves, Shipra Khanna and Ajay Chopra, as the show soared through and checked off every foodie’s wish list. Chef Shipra Khanna is a unique success story who hails from India and is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality. Ajay Chopra is an Indian celebrity chef who rose to fame after serving as a judge on MasterChef India seasons 1 and 2.
Excerpts from the interview:
I. How excited are you to judge Chef vs. Fridge season three? What are you hoping to discover in this season?
Shipra Khanna: I am super excited about the third season of Chef Vs Fridge on Zee Café because it’s completely different from the first two seasons. Not just in terms of look, feel and concept but the chefs who are competing are also really full of potential, they are talented and also competitive. They are really entertaining, and viewers are going to like them. There are nail-biting twists and turn in the competition and the dishes have turned out to be great. We are looking to discover the taste, innovation, new techniques, and new flavours in this year’s competition.
Ajay Chopra: Season Three has turned out to be an absolute thriller. Right from the first episode that we started, we saw a battle of chefs coming together with some great skills on the charts, trying to prove that they are exceptional chefs, then there will be a few surprises that will happen, as we go. So, I think there’s a lot to catch up and stay tuned to, this show, the format has changed. And every Sunday, there is a thrill of cooking that no one will see. And India will see a showcase of great culinary talent on the show this time.
II. How did each of your journeys start? What were the good and bad reviews you have received throughout your journey?
Shipra Khanna: My journey as a professional chef started after winning a reality show and there.
Ajay Chopra: I started my journey, very humbly as a prep cook in TGI Fridays, my salary was 2000 rupees in 1998. Then eventually a sous chef, and then a chef, and then an executive chef. So, the roots are right from the base. And every journey has its good and bad days. So have I had my good and bad days, and there have been people who have kind of taunted me, have been very tough and hard on me. But at the same time, I’m thankful to those people that they brought in that connection at the right time. Although, it was difficult for me to take in at that point in time. But now that I look back, I will have two words to say to all those people who were tough on me. Thank you. So, I take it in that sense. Also, feedback is the only thing which shapes us. It’s very difficult to take feedback at that point in time. But I learned it over a period, that reaction is not the best reaction to feedback.
III. Being outstanding chefs, you folks undoubtedly had a wide variety of foods from throughout the globe. Which do you think is the best? And which do you believe the Indian tongue will find the most difficult to taste?
Shipra Khanna: My favourite cuisine is Peruvian and my favourite dish in this cuisine is Ceviche. I am not sure when these authentic flavours will reach India and how they will be received by the Indian tongue. I see Japanese doing very very well in India, but Peruvian is a mix of Japanese and Latin-American flavours. Hence, these are different, and the authentic ones are delicious.
IV. What are your favourite dishes by each other? What element do you like the most about that dish?
Shipra Khanna: Chef Ajay is an amazing chef and I have always loved his dishes. He is amazing with Indian cuisine and my personal favourite is Malai Kofta. They are always creamy and soft, just how an ideal malai kofta dish should be.
V: How do you go about tweaking recipes to accommodate dietary restrictions? How do you include health considerations in the creation of new recipes?
Shipra Khanna: We can always replace restricted ingredients with healthier options. For e.g. In the case of diabetic people, I replace rice with millet as rice has a higher GI and millets are really good for people with diabetes so, that way we tweak the recipe according to the dietary restrictions of the people consuming it. Major problems can be hormonal imbalance, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. In the case of cholesterol, we reduce fats, we use healthy oil but in general, I believe in healthy cook so my recipes are already for people who are healthy and have no ailment, they can eat it and live a healthier life. And for people who have certain dietary restrictions, we make sure that we go through each and every recipe in detail and use only those products that are permissible for them. Whether its oil, its greens or meats, the dish is prepared in a fashion that meets the needs of the person who is consuming it.
Ajay Chopra: As a chef, you are also playing the role of doctor to many. Because there are people coming to you all the time, food is one thing which is integral to our daily life, and people can refrain or restrain themselves. So, they have to eat a certain way. So as a chef, you must modify your menu. Sometimes you have to modify your cooking as well, and your thought process. Once you do that, then obviously you’re bringing a smile on their faces. But overall, as a menu, I think the whole world is moving towards health as a consideration. It’s no longer that we are looking at very heavy, stodgy and Friday menus, the world is changing, and more health options are being added every single day.
VI. What aspect of your job do you two enjoy the best, and what advice would you provide to budding chefs?
Shipra Khanna: I love every aspect of my job because I travel, I am an author, I have published eight books and my ninth book is on its way and it makes me travel, it makes me eat, it makes me cook, pushes my ideas, my creativity. I just love being who I am and love doing my job. My advice to the new chefs is to be resilient, be passionate, be focused, work hard and you will succeed. This is the only recipe for success.
Ajay Chopra: Food! I’m always around great food, and that’s the aspect I enjoy the most. The three terms that define a successful professional chef are the A.S.K., which stands for attitude, skill, and knowledge. I always try to impart this in new hospitality students and professionals. Because they don’t take on every challenge, many chefs lack a positive mindset. To me, having a positive attitude is being always prepared. Nothing more, nothing less competent is definitely a requirement of our job, and many chefs mistakenly believe that once they have attained a certain level of expertise, they are through learning and don’t need to continue. This is the beginning of their downfall. So, I believe that scale is something that we should update as often and as much as possible. Moreover, knowledge is a quality that distinguishes us since without daily reading and updating, we won’t be prepared to deal with upcoming challenges.
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