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On the 16th of November, Bangalore hosted the ultimate home chefs’ competition at the Phoenix Mall of Asia—where Slurrp’s Great Indian Cookout 4.0 unfolded. 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 regional flavours in a refined, high-end form, the gastronomic extravaganza paid ode to the host city’s most acclaimed street food offerings.
Hosted by Abhinandan Singh, the three hand-picked competitors who were selected from a whopping 9,000 home chefs from across the country, made it to the stage to showcase their creativity in the form of some delicious plates. While Adarsha Mangave’s aloo paratha waffle earned her the coveted spot to compete against Anjali KS’ and Himanshi Bhardwaj’s wheat besan bonda manchurian and famous street food cutlet, each of the ladies battled hook, line and sinker to make it to the final. Chef Neha Deepak Shah, who previously presided over the Mumbai and Kolkata editions, said about her experience at the Bangalore chapter, “For a high-pressure competitive environment, there isn’t really one who can be declared to be the best. The idea is to maintain one’s composure and cultivate the ability to think on one’s feet—something that one of them did better than the other today.”
Mystery Box Challenge
Kickstarting the day with a mystery box challenge, the three home chefs were presented with the hero ingredient—pure wheat vermicelli—courtesy of Aashirvaad. A common feature in every Indian household, the vermicelli—available in plain and roasted variations—became the foundation where the three women let their imagination take over to showcase their creative interpretations. Adarsha Mangave decided to go ahead and whip up a doughnut tikki with a Bengal gram-mint chutney whereas Anjali KS opted to use the ingredient to make a vermicelli tikki with bell pepper sauce, garnished with roasted peanuts followed by Himanshi Bhardwaj who presented her own interpretation in the form of what she called a ‘bird’s nest’—made using a vermicelli basket filled with chickpeas and served with a green chutney as well as kurkuri bhindi.
An intense deliberation by chefs Shri Bala and Neha Deepak Shah, Adarsha Mangave was declared as the one eliminated from the finale. Upon being questioned about how she felt being so close to the finish line and having been nullified from the competition, Adarsha Mangave said, “The fact that I made it to the top three in my city and was able to compete against these talented home chefs itself feels lucky enough. Looking back, I definitely could have done better but I wish them all the best.”
Celebrity Chefs Showcase Local Fare With Flair
Following the Mystery Box challenge and elimination, culinary anthropologist and chef Shri Bala decided to demonstrate the making of her multigrain kadubu using Aashirvaad’s namma chakki morninga aata—that she paired with a fiery red Ranjaka chutney. An expression of lesser-known regional cuisine, she believes that Indian street food has been pushed to the point of bastardisation, where health is also compromised in the process. “I prefer food that doesn’t go overboard to the point where it doesn’t lose its authenticity. Pairing food right and creating an awareness are two important factors that must be inculcated within people who aren’t as educated about local cuisines or authentic street food.”
Following this, chef Kalyan Gopalakrishna’s showcase of Naati cuisine in the form of an incredibly tender Bannur mutton fry was one that became an instant hit for its robust flavour without being excessive on the spice. Talking about why micro cuisines require more attention, Kalyan speaks about the Naati fare saying that it needs to be propagated by more people in a bigger way. “It is simple food but extremely flavourful. Just how Bengali food was once associated with being home-cooked and is now represented on the world stage, that is my vision for this Naati food to be celebrated one day.”
Partners’ Vision For The Great Indian Cookout
The success of Slurrp Great Indian Cookout 4.0 owes much to its partners’ commitment to celebrating Indian home cooking. USHA President Appliances Sriram Sundaresan said, “With customer-centric needs at the essence of every product we bring to customers, our ultimate aim is to ensure that the cooking journey from prep to table is an enjoyable experience. Cooking for loved ones and sharing a meal cooked with love creates cherished moments that are treasured forever. This is why partnering with an event like Great Indian Cookout works perfectly. The turnout in Bengaluru, the city of enviable weather, has been heartwarming and we wish everyone beautiful moments over great food.”
BU Chief Executive Staples at Aashirvaad, Anuj Rustagi quipped that, “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 home-grown 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."
Celebrating Food Even Beyond The Competition
The event wasn’t solely focused on the competition as attendees enjoyed interactive games and live demonstrations of USHA products throughout the day. The atmosphere was electric, filled with food enthusiasts eager to learn 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 a beautiful embossed wooden spice box. Loyal World Market joined forces for the event as pantry partners with the Phoenix Mall of Asia offering up their space as venue partners.
The Grand Finale Decides The Winner
Chef Neha Deepak Shah takes the competition up a notch following a recipe demonstration of her rava pongal mushroom risotto recipe. Home chefs Anjali and Himanshi then had to use the same set of ingredients used in the masterclass to create a brand new dish of their own in a span of 45 minutes. Requiring to showcase their innovation and quick thinking to come up with recipes, Himanshi decided to prepare a rava tortilla with mushroom chhole while Anjali zeroed in upon a rava taco with mushroom filling that was served with a ketchup dip.
Following an intense cookout within a short span of time, chef Neha declared Himanshi Bhardwaj the winner of the grand finale. What was also interesting to note was that Himanshi had never cooked with mushrooms prior to the competition—something that she said was a point of pride while she shared her delight about landing herself in the winner’s position, which took her by surprise. Anjali said that she takes the experience of competing against Himanshi in her stride, as the first runner up, who was zealous about returning another time with better ideas and execution. All in all, it only went to prove that the celebration of food never really stops!
What’s Next?
Himanshi Bhardwaj’s journey from one of 9,000 hopefuls to the Bangalore city winner is nothing short of aspirational. Her rava tortilla with mushroom chhole is testament to the fact that regional tastes will always be versatile, adaptable across formats and delicious nevertheless—proof that innovation doesn't mean abandoning tradition but honouring it in new ways.
As the Slurrp Great Indian Cookout 4.0 continues its journey across India to the final stop in Delhi, the three chapters have shown what is possible when passion meets opportunity. The competition concludes with a winning contestant in the capital, where three home chefs will get their chance to shine, learn from master chefs and reveal their true mettle.
For food lovers who missed the Bangalore edition, join us one last time in Delhi to watch India’s biggest platform for home chefs to display their cooking talents. Each stop so far on this tour has been a celebration of India’s culinary diversity, home chefs who preserve and innovate traditional recipes and the community that upholds them.
If you're interested in attending the upcoming edition of Slurrp’s Great Indian Cookout in Delhi (22nd November), drop us a message on Instagram for more details.
