After three successful editions in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru, Slurrp Great Indian Cookout is approaching the last leg. The grand finale of GIC 4.0 in Delhi is all set to take place on Saturday, the 22nd of November. Presented by USHA and co-presented by Aashirvaad, with associate partner Foodies Only and OTT Play as streaming partner, the competition provides a platform for India’s community of 8 lakh home chefs to showcase their culinary flair. With the theme ‘Gully to Gourmet,’ the celebrity chefs and the top home chef contenders will give some of the staple street foods a modern twist.
Meet The Celebrity Chefs For Slurrp GIC 4.0 Finale
Chef Neha Deepak Shah
Neha Deepak Shah, the presiding head chef across all four cities of Slurrp Great Indian Cookout, brings her philosophy of meaningful transformation to the competition. Paying homage to the capital city, Delhi, Chef Neha Deepak will work with the North Indian favourite - kadhi chawal. Reimagining the staple as Kadhi Chawal Khaosuey, she will work with the familiar flavours and give them a one-of-a-kind twist.
Chef Nishant Choubey
Known for his global culinary techniques with an Indian heart, Chef Nishant Choubey is the perfect person to encapsulate the finale of GIC 4.0. Expressing his excitement, he says, “I am super thrilled to showcase a skilful sweet potato chaat.” Honouring its roots with a Korean touch, Chef Choubey will be experimenting with the winter staple, shakarkandi and gochujang.
Chef Anahita Dhondy
Completing the formidable panel is Chef Anahita Dhondy, a celebrated chef and author known for championing regional and lesser-known Indian cuisines, particularly Parsi food. In sync with the ‘Gully to Gourmet’ theme, she will present her take on Mathri Papdi Chaat. Preparing the dish from scratch, she’ll transform the North Indian street food into a high-end plate.
Also Read: Meet Slurrp’s Great Indian Cookout Semi-Finalists And Their Star Dishes As They Compete For The Win
Meet Delhi’s Top Three Home Chef Contenders
The Slurrp Great Indian Cookout 4.0 saw a monumental response, with nearly 9,000 entries pouring in from across the country. After a rigorous selection process, three home chefs from Delhi have been shortlisted to take the stage and compete for the winning title. Here’s a sneak peek of their ‘Gully to Gourmet’ creations that made them semi-finalists.
Neha Gupta presented a visually stunning Coconut Pancake with Besan Mousse. Giving the global favourites - pancake and mousse an Indian twist, she created a sweet, lacy, flower-like dessert with coconut. Combining it with mousse reimagined with besan ka halwa, she truly set a benchmark for the GIC 4.0 finale.
Vinisha Thakur played with Delhi’s favourite street food - bhalla papdi. Giving the classic a contemporary take, she prepared soft lentil-based bhallas filled with raisins and cashew nuts. As for the papdi, she used a surprising ingredient that has all the buzz - matcha. Topped with a sweet plum chutney and the usual coriander chutney, she created a fine dining version of the street favourite.
Astha Agarwal proved that there is no right way to make dahi vada. Reimagining the snack as a dessert, she presented it as Dahi Vada Cake. With the aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical garnishes of pomegranate seeds, boondi, and mint leaves, she truly deserved to be a semi-finalist. Just imagine all the textures, soft, crunchy, and everything in between, coming together to make this fusion form of dahi vada.
This weekend, the top three contenders will get to showcase their signature creations. Adding to the challenge, they will also be participating in a mystery box challenge, thinking on their feet, and making a dish on the spot with the given set of ingredients. The winner will also earn the extraordinary opportunity to feature in an exclusive OTTPlay series, cooking alongside India's leading celebrity chefs.
How The GIC 4.0 Finale In Delhi Will Unfold
Set to kick off on the 22nd of November, the grand finale will start with an opening speech by Usha. Prepping the audience, Chef Neha Deepak Shah will start by explaining the Mystery Box challenge with the secret ingredients carefully selected from Aashirvaad’s range of flours, vermicelli, and much more.
After the elimination round, Chef Nishant Choubey will take the stage. With his workshop, Chef Nishant will showcase his “Gully to Gourmet’ recipes, i.e. Litchi Jasmine Mojito and Sweet Potato Chaat with Gochujang. Chef Anahita Dhondy then follows him with her unique take on Mathri Papdi Chaat by presenting Delhi’s favourite snack as a fine-dining dish.
The final workshop for the day will be conducted by Chef Neha Deepak Shah, where she illustrates how to give the humble kadhi chawal a modern makeover. Opening the stage for an engaging round of Ask-Me-Anything with Chef Neha Deepak Shah, the audience will get a chance to interact with the MasterChef.
The day will conclude with the announcement of the winner and the runner-up home chef by Usha representatives and Chef Shah, celebrating not just the champion but the spirit of innovation and tradition that defines Indian home cooking.
Throughout the evening, attendees will witness street food's transformation from gully to gourmet in real time, learning techniques and approaches from both celebrity chefs and talented home cooks. And until next time, the curtains will draw on the fourth season of Slurrp Great Indian Cookout.