From Cadbury Mishti Kachori to Cadbury Calma and Choco Jafrani Mono Mohini, 66 participants whipped up their Cadbury mishti in the final of Chocochef Challenge 2018 at Acropolis mall on April 20. A part of the Cadbury Mishti Shera Shrishti campaign, in association with Anandabazar Patrika and The Telegraph, Chocochef Challenge had 1,700 participants in the preliminary rounds held in 15 neighbourhoods and five housing complexes across the city. Some also took part by sending in their original recipes, using Cadbury Dairy Milk, through WhatsApp and email. These rounds were judged by owners of the participating sweet shops. Rahul Arora, owner of Bon Appetit, and Pritika Sen Suraiya, proprietor and chef patissier of Caramelle, judged the final round. Madhumita Das, Rehan Ali and Susmita Ghosh won the Chocochef 2018 title.

“This is a very important platform for homemakers as it encourages them. I had a lovely experience tasting so many mishtis,” said Rahul Arora.

“It was fun to see how people weren’t sticking to traditional mishti and westernised their dishes. I love Cadbury. I also gave some tips to the participants,” said Pritika Sen Suraiya.

MEET THE CHOCOCHEF CHALLENGE 2018 WINNERS

Who: Madhumita Das, a 37-year-old homemaker from Balai Mistry Lane, Howrah 

Dish name: Cadbury Mishti Kachori 

Thought behind the name: I was walking past a mishti shop where I saw them selling kachori and I thought of making it with Cadbury.

Ingredients used: All-purpose flour, shredded Cadbury and syrup.

Participated because: This was the first time I participated in a cooking competition. After seeing the advertisement in my para and t2, I decided to give it a try.

Preparation for the big day: The first people to taste my dish were my husband, Arindam, and daughter Ayantika, and the girl who works at our home. They all gave me positive feedback, which gave me confidence.

 

What this platform means: I love cooking but never thought of cooking something innovative. This platform gave me a chance to show my creativity, that too with Cadbury and mishti. 

Future plans: I plan to open a bakery, but for that I need to think of more dishes.

Cadbury moment in life: The moment when my husband proposed to me with a Cadbury Dairy Milk.

An actor you want to offer your dish to: Abir Chatterjee. 

Who: Rehan Ali, a first-year student of Behala College

Dish name: Chocolate Bhapa Doi

Thought behind the name: I used baked yogurt hence I called it Chocolate Bhapa Doi.

Ingredients used: Fresh cream, curd, Cadbury and Oreo biscuits. 

Participated because: I have been cooking since I was a child but this was my first attempt at making a dessert.

Preparation for the big day: I initially made my sister, Sahana Khatun, taste. Her verdict made me zero in on this dish.

 

What this platform means: This is the best place for me to show my talent. Winning was the icing on the cake.

Future plans: This was a great win and I will plan something in future. As of now I will finish my studies.

Cadbury moment in life: A special person in my life gave me a Cadbury Dairy Milk on Valentine’s Day.

An actor you want to offer your dish to: Parambrata Chattopadhyay.

Who: Susmita Ghosh, a 47-year-old entrepreneur from Sarat Chatterjee Road, Behala

Dish name: Chocosphere

Thought behind the name: I ended up making the Cadbury mishti look spherical, so I named it Chocosphere.

Ingredients used: Cadbury Mousse with a golden chocolate coating on top.

Participated because: I have been following the campaign right from the start and I had participated last year too. This year I got selected and I gave it my best, which made me win.

Preparation for the big day: I just shared the dish with my family members and they were really impressed.

What this platform means: It feels great to be regarded as a top ‘chef’ on such a big platform by such famous people.

Future plans: I already have my own business. It’s a home bakery called Grandeur. I wish to take that a step further.

Cadbury moment in life: Winning Cadbury Mishti Chocochef Challenge 2018.

An actor you want to offer your dish to: Abir Chatterjee. I hope he likes it too.

Text: Manjis Kar. Pictures: Arnab Mondal