GIC 4.0: The Home Chef Recipes That Bagged The Winning Title In Each City

On 1st November 2025, Slurrp’s Great Indian Cookout 4.0 kicked off in Mumbai and concluded in Delhi on 22nd Novemvber, 2025. 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'. Celebrating the legendary native flavours and street food of India, the competition challenged home chefs to elevate humble dishes to gourmet excellence. As four winners emerged from a sea of intensive competition, their final dishes showcased a blend of talent, innovation and taste. From over 9,000 entries received during the online rounds, only three exceptional home chefs earned their spot on the final stage across the four destinations. Each winning dish not only captured the essence of 'Gully to Gourmet' but also reimagined them with refined culinary techniques. The winners represented not just their own culinary journeys, but the dreams of thousands of home chefs across India who dared to compete.

Shobha Halkati’s Beetroot Tart With Rasmalai Cream [Mumbai]

Ingredients [For Tart Shell]

• 1 cup Aashirvaad atta
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup beetroot juice

Ingredients [For Cream Filling]

• 1 cup fresh cream
• ½ cup grated paneer 
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4-5 kesar strands
• 1 teaspoon elaichi powder

Ingredients [For Date Balls]

• 5-6 dates
• Handful of chopped pistachios
• Handful of chopped almonds

Ingredients [For Guava Gel]

• ½ cup B Natural guava juice 
• ½ teaspoon agar agar
• Few teaspoons sugar
• 1 pinch red chilli powder

Ingredients [For Garnish]

• Fruits (Grapes, candied orange bits)
• Dry fruits (pistachios, almond)
• 1 sheet silver varq

Method

• Combine the wheat flour and butter by rubbing it using your hands before gradually adding in the beetroot juice to form a dough.
• Roll into small, thick roundels like a paratha and place in a tart mould.
• Press and remove the excess dough from edges and prick the base lightly with a fork.
• Bake until done before unmoulding and set aside to cool.
• While the tart shells are baking grind the dates into a paste and transfert to a plate before mixing in the chopped almonds and pistachios. 
• In a separate bowl, add the cream to whip slightly before combining it with the grated paneer, sugar, saffron strands and cardamom powder.
• For the gel, boil the guava juice with agar agar and some sugar to bring to a boil before adding a pinch of red chilli powder at the end to finish.
• For the plating, spoon some guava gel on a serving plate to give it the effect of a splash before placing the beetroot tart shell on it.
• Add the date balls and rasmalai cream before garnishing with fruit, dry fruits and silver varq.

Mithu Saha’s Sweet Potato Papdi Chaat and Soya Thecha [Kolkata]

In Mithu’s own words, she believes that, “Street food is always the kids’ favourite. They don’t like to eat sweet potatoes unless you prepare something different out of them. And the primary requirement of a street food is the taste that always makes you want to go back. Hence, I tried to make a healthier chaat version of the famous Alukabli in Kolkata.”

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• ¼ cup Aashirvaad atta
• ¼ cup three-coloured capsicum, chopped
• ½-inch piece ginger
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• ½ cup soya chunks, boiled
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon fennel (saunf) powder
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• 2 tablespoons curd
• ¼ cup tamarind pulp
• 2 tablespoons peanuts
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Salt, as required

Method

• Combine the tamarind pulp, honey and salt to prepare a chutney; combine the curd with salt and honey to mix well and keep aside.
• For the thecha, bring a pan to heat and add in the peanuts, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, boiled soya chunks with some salt to season.
• Sauté well and remove from the heat to cool completely before blending it lightly to a coarse mixture.
• In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour with oregano, salt and chilli flakes before using warm water to knead it into a dough.
• Roll out small discs and place them in a preheated air fryer at at 180°C for 15 minutes.
• In a pan, toast the coriander, cumin, fennel and red chilli powders lightly, until aromatic.
• Mash the sweet potatoes well before adding in the toasted spice powders, tamarind chutney, honey, chopped onions and green chillies, chaat masala, coriander leaves and salt.
• To serve the dish, spread the sweet potato on a plate before placing the papdis on top of it.
• Top up with the soya thecha, some chopped onion, capsicum and green chilli.
• Drizzle the tamarind chutney and curd chutney over the assembly before sprinkling some chaat masala, salt and coriander leaves.
• Finish with pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

Himanshi Bhardwaj’s Rawa Tortilla With Mushroom Chhole Curry [Bangalore]

What makes Himanshi’s winning recipe truly special is her intuitive approach to cooking with mushrooms; an ingredient she was not familiar with before the competition—something that she said was a point of pride while she shared her delight. The rawa tortilla offers a neutral but textural foundation to which the umami-forward, flavour-loaded chhole becomes the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients [For Rawa Tortilla]

• 1 cup rawa
• ½ cup rice flour
• 2 tablespoons curd
• 2.5 cups water
• Salt, to taste
• Oil/ghee, for cooking

Ingredients [For Mushroom Chhole Curry]

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• ½ cup tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• Water, as needed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly chopped coriander, for garnish

Method

• Combine the rawa, rice flour and salt in a bowl before adding in the curd and water gradually to form a thin batter, similar to the consistency of buttermilk.
• Rest for 10 minutes before pouring the batter like sprinkling water on a hot tava.
• Fill the gaps by adding more batter wherever required and drizzle some oil or ghee.
• Cook without flipping, until the tortilla is golden and crisp on the edges and set aside.
• For the mushroom chhole, add the oil to a saucepan and let the cumin seeds splutter.
• Tip in the chopped onion and sauté until golden.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste to cook for a minute followed by the tomato puree, turmeric and chilli powder.
• Season with some salt and continue to cook further until the oil begins to pool at the edges.
• Add the mushrooms followed by the boiled chickpeas along with half a cup of water.
• Simmer for 6-8 minutes and finish off with some garam masala and chopped coriander.
• To serve, place 1–2 crispy rawa tortillas on a plate and add a bowl of the mushroom chhole curry.
• Garnish with coriander, onion rings and a wedge of lemon.

Neha Gupta’s Ravioli Rosetta Momo With Kadhi Drizzle [Delhi]

What was said to be headlining chef Neha Deepak Shah’s toughest decision from the Delhi chapter, Neha’s recipe for the ravioli momos sure was neck and neck to its competitor. However, its sweet-tangy medley of flavours combined with the soft momos bagged the championship for its familiar, comforting yet innovative combination of flavours.

Ingredients [For Momo Dough]

• ¾ cup (approx. 90 grams) Aashirvaad atta
• 1 tablespoon suji
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 pinch salt
• Water, as needed

Ingredients [For Filling]

• ½ cup finely chopped spinach
• 30-40 grams paneer
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon oregano

Ingredients [For Kadhi Drizzle]

• 1 tablespoon besan
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon jaggery
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1 + 1 teaspoon ghee/oil
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Ingredients [For Optional Garnish]

• Few drops chilli oil
• ½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Method

• Combine the whole wheat flour, suji and oil in a bowl before kneading into a soft dough by adding water gradually to the mixture.
• Set aside to rest for 10 minutes while heating some oil in a pan to cook the paneer and spinach over high flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Season with salt, pepper and oregano and continue to cook until the moisture evaporates completely.
• To make the momos, roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut four discs from it using a cutter.
• Add a spoon of the cooled filling in the centre and use a second disc of dough to cover the first one.
• Press the edges using a fork similar to a ravioli and steam for 7-8 minutes, until glossy.
• Combine the gram flour with water and whisk until smooth before transferring to a saucepan.
• Temper the mustard seeds in oil before adding it to the gram flour mixture along with the jaggery, sugar, turmeric powder and salt.
• Simmer over low flame until the mixture reaches a drizzling consistency which is thicker than the standard kadhi.
• For the tempering, heat a teaspoon of ghee before adding in the red chilli powder, chilli flakes and garlic; pour into the kadhi once it turns aromatic.
• Place a steamed ravioli momo in the centre of the serving plate and spoon the kadhi on the sides.
• Add a few drops of chilli oil, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, cherry tomatoes and slit green chilli for garnish before serving.