After three successful culinary events in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, Slurrp Great Indian Cookout 4.0 touched down in Delhi on the 22nd of November at Radisson Hotel Delhi MG Road. Presented by USHA and co-presented by Aashirvaad, with Associate Partner Foodies Only and Streaming Partner OTT Play, the fourth season returned with a bold new vision, launching a four-city tour under the theme ‘Gully to Gourmet’. Grazed by celebrity chefs and three talented home chefs, the event was a celebration of regional flavours in a refined, high-end form and paid homage to Delhi’s most acclaimed street foods.
Sharing his thoughts, Avinash Mudaliar, the Co-Founder and CEO of HT Labs, said, “The Delhi edition of GIC 4 was Dilli ki asli rooh on full display — passionate food lovers turning up at 10 am, the energy at Radisson MG Road refusing to dip even for a moment. And for the last edition of the year, Delhi gave us exactly what we hoped for — tadka, talent aur woh dil se nikalti garma-garam applause that reminds us why GIC is more than a contest, it’s a celebration of India’s home-chef revolution.”
The Three Home Chefs Who Made It From 9,000 Entries
In Image: L-R: Astha Agarwal, Vinisha Thakur, Neha Gupta
Host Abhinandan Singh kicked off the event by highlighting the sheer scale of the competition. He walked the audience through the rigorous journey that whittled a staggering 9,000 online entries down to just three exceptional home chefs, each fighting for their place in the spotlight. Neha Gupta arrived with her innovative Coconut Pancake with Besan Mousse, Vinisha Thakur, by catering to the young audience with her Bhalla Papdi flavoured with matcha, and Astha Agarwal with her aesthetically pleasing Dahi Vada Cake.
The head chef and judge for all the legs of Slurrp GIC Season 4, Chef Neha Deepak Shah, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “The number 4 is so lucky for me. From starring in the 4th season of MasterChef to coming here, at the Slurrp Great Indian Cookout, I’m really excited to see what the grand finale in Delhi holds.”
Mystery Box Challenge
The grand finale kicked off with a mystery challenge. Each home chef was given a secret ingredient, and this time it was Aashirvaad Select Sharbati Atta. Picking the atta as the hero ingredient, Vinisha Thakur made a tart, filled it with a paneer and chickpea-based tikki, and paired it with a paneer-based sauce. Astha Agarwal made a beetroot baked and served it in a whole wheat tart paired with a kiwi and pomegranate chutney. Adding something sweet to the table, Neha Gupta made a banoffee chocolate caramel chaat garnished with hung curd and sliced strawberries.
Taking a tough call, Chef Neha Deepak Shah and Chef Sanjay from Usha selected Astha Agarwal and Neha Gupta for the final round. Being the perfect sport, after being eliminated, Vinisha Thakur said, “I’m proud I got a chance amongst the 9000 home chefs. While the pressure of making a dish in just 45 minutes was intense, if given a chance to do something differently, I would make the tarts a little thinner, as the judges said.”
Inside The Workshops Of The Celebrity Chefs
Whilst the home chefs took a breather, the celebrity chefs took the stage with their masterclasses. Starting with Chef Anahita Dhondy, the audience had a great time while she prepared Methi Mathri Chaat. In perfect sync with the ‘Gully to Gourmet’ theme, she prepared a crispy methi mathri, which is perfect for the winter season. “Usually, the papdi in a chaat goes soggy with contents like dahi and chutney. Giving it a gourmet twist and making it better to eat, I’ve added the chaat mixture in a glass and have topped it with the crunchy methi mathri on top,” Chef Anahita elaborated.
Following the engaging workshop came Chef Nishant Choubey with his electric energy. Dancing amongst the audience, he made a Sweet Potato Chaat with Gochujang and paired it with a Litchi Jasmine Mojito. Upon asking why he made the particular dish, he said, “Chai is what starts the day of a typical Indian family. Giving it a flair, I made the mojito. And for the chaat, shakarkandi is the heart of Delhi. I topped it with gochujang to make it perfect for a refined plate.”
Partners Share Their Vision While Celebrating Indian Home Cooks
The success of Slurrp Great Indian Cookout 4.0 owes much to its partners’ commitment to celebrating Indian home cooking. Sriram Sundaresan, President of Usha, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “At Usha International, our innovations are shaped by what consumers truly need and value. We design appliances that simplify tasks while adding creativity and enjoyment to everyday cooking. The Slurrp Great Indian Cookout provides an ideal platform to connect with consumers across India and highlight how our consumer-first mindset brings together advanced technology and cherished food traditions.”
Speaking about this partnership, Anuj Rustagi, BU Chief Executive Staples at Aashirvaad, added, "At Aashirvaad, we have always believed in being part of our consumers’ cooking journeys, helping them create dishes filled with authenticity, trust, and love. We are truly delighted to be a part of Slurrp’s Great Indian Cookout, a platform that celebrates India’s incredible diversity of flavours and homegrown culinary talent. As a co-presenting partner, we are proud to support home chefs as they bring their creativity to life using Aashirvaad products, showcasing how the right ingredients can elevate every meal. This collaboration beautifully reflects our shared vision of celebrating the essence of Indian cooking, made with care, and served with pride."
Beyond The Competition: Celebrating The Culinary Art
The event wasn't solely focused on the competition. Attendees enjoyed interactive games and live demonstrations of USHA products throughout the day, with opportunities to taste dishes prepared right at the counter. The atmosphere was electric, filled with food enthusiasts eager to learn, taste, and celebrate. Meanwhile, associate partners Foodies Only were living their message of 'Come for the food, stay for the community' as they brought people together through fun games and challenges to guess spices and understand their many uses. Thanks to their generosity, many attendees for the event also left with something to remember their win and achievements in the form of a beautiful embossed wooden spice box.
Slurrp GIC 4.0 Grand Finale In Action
For the grand finale, Chef Neha Deepak Shah took the stage along with the two selected home chefs for her masterclass. Adding a twist to the final round, the home chefs were to use the same ingredients as Chef Shah to whip up their dishes, and that too in just 45 minutes. For her master workshop, Chef Neha decided to make Kadhi Chawal Khaosuey. “I’ve spent a good share of time in Delhi, and kadhi chawal made in the city always stole my heart. Taking a global spin, I’m transforming the classic into khaosuey,” Shah says whilst cooking. With rice-based noodles topped, pakore vali kadhi, and garnishes like roasted peanuts, fried onion, spring onion greens, etc, she made a tempting bowl.
Following the footsteps of Chef Neha Deepak Shah, the stage was set with the same set of Aashirvaad ingredients and Usha appliances for the home chefs Astha Agarwal and Neha Gupta to battle. Taking inspiration from the streets of Delhi, Neha Gupta decided to whip up momo served with Gujarati kadhi. Transforming the classic momo for the stage, Neha kneaded a dough using atta and sooji, filled it like ravioli, and shaped it like a flower. Steamed to perfection, she served aesthetically pleasing momo in besan ki kadhi.
Thinking on her feet, Astha Agarwal went ahead to recreate Delhi’s favourite dessert, rabri jalebi. Reinventing the traditional Indian sweet, Astha made a parfait. With the base layer as cupcakes made with besan, mouth-melting rabri kheer as the second layer, strawberry compote as the third, and finally a crispy jalebi made in just 45 minutes. Along with the parfait, she completed the plate with the compote, sliced strawberries, and chopped nuts.
The Much-Awaited Winner Of Slurrp GIC 4.0 Delhi Edition
With the dishes tasted and scores locked in, Chef Neha Deepak Shah and Sanjay from the Usha team took on the toughest call of the night. “Delhi raised the bar for the whole Cookout, which made choosing a winner no easy task,” Chef Shah said. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: “The winner is Neha Gupta.” Amidst the audience's cheers, Neha Gupta said, “Cooking and sharing the stage with Chef Shah was already a win for me. And the crown was the cherry on top.”
Astha Agarwal later said she was proud of choosing jalebi, a move she called bold and worth it, even if she wished she had a few more minutes to perfect the crunch. As the finale drew to a close, Chef Shah expressed her hope that Slurrp will carry the Great Indian Cookout forward each year, giving home chefs the platform they have long earned.
While the Slurrp Great Indian Cookout Season 4 has come to an end, you can soon catch all the highlights streaming exclusively on OTTplay.