Ripudaman Handa with Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh at the Masterchef India finale

At 23, you were the youngest on the show. Must have been a great feeling to be crowned the winner?

I was the youngest contestant in this season and probably in all the three seasons. I am proud of my achievement. It has completely changed my life and given me direction. Earlier I lacked confidence but I have come out from Masterchef as a confident person.

What do you think the audience liked about you that they voted in such massive numbers?

I met a lady in Delhi who complimented me with: ‘Whether you are tense, you lose or win, you always have a smile on your face’. I always keep smiling, that’s my strength.

Take us through your Masterchef journey...

The journey was amazing. There was a lot of struggle and it taught me that life is not that easy, but I survived through all the trials and tribulations. I used to give a lot of thought to my dishes. I don’t think I have concentrated so much even on my studies! Participating in this show has changed my point of view towards life. Main toh kahoonga ki iss show ne Delhi ke ladke ko sudhaar diya aur insaan bana diya!

Who was your toughest competitor?

All my fellow contestants were experts in their fields. Even Doyel (Sarangi) from your city was very good. But Nisha (Verma) aunty was the toughest competition. The amount of experience she has does not even equal my age! Navneet (Rastogi) used to run a catering business and Happy (Singh) a restaurant. Most of them had experience in the food business.

Your most memorable Masterchef moment?

When I won, more than being happy for myself, I was happy for the people who loved me and made me win the show.... The day I entered the Masterchef kitchen along with the other 30 contestants was the most memorable one for me.

Favourite Masterchef task?

The Ahmedabad task where we had to make ice creams and sell them was the one I enjoyed the most. I sold ice creams like crazy and our team’s score was good!

The toughest Masterchef task?

Cooking bamboo was the most difficult for me. I had never cooked in a bamboo before.

Your strength lies in?

I can prepare Italian dishes the best as I love Italian food.

The judges always praised your presentation. What’s the secret?

Initially, my plating used to be just okay but slowly and gradually, I honed my skills. Presenting food for me is like painting. I like to add various colours to my dish. I cook with a lot of love and that’s what is represented on the plate.

Are you a foodie?

I am a big-time foodie. I use to weigh 120kg in Class XII!

What do you plan to do after Masterchef?

I now know that I want to do something in the food industry. For now, I would like to rest for a while.

And the winning amount of Rs 1 crore will be spent on?

I still have not given it a serious thought. It’s a big amount of money that I have earned at a young age. People now know me and recognise me. But I think more than money I have earned the respect and the blessings that I would treasure for life. These are my biggest achievements from Masterchef.

The out-of-the box fare on masterchef this season

Pootharekulu

This dish — also known as paper sweet — is from Andhra Pradesh. A diluted mixture of rice and sugar had to be spread in thin layers over the back of a heated clay pot. Getting the perfect sheet was a difficult task that 10 contestants successfully managed.

Aloo Ki Tokri

The 10 contestants who passed the Pootharekulu test had to prepare a perfect potato basket to get the Masterchef apron. A mix of grated potatoes, corn starch and turmeric was used to make the tokri that only five contestants could prepare. To get a perfect bowl-shaped aloo ki tokri required a balance of timing, technique and temperature.

Bamboo and gum!

Judges brought edible gum resin, bamboo and Szechwan pepper in a mystery box that the contestants had to use in a single dish. The bamboo tube was used as a cooking aide and gum and pepper as ingredients. While Nisha Verma from Meerut prepared a gravy dish, Ishrat Ali from Calcutta cooked Dal Baati in the bamboo tube.

Gadbad Falooda

Chef Ajay Chopra came as a guest and challenged three contestants in the unsafe zone to prepare a 13-layered Falooda weighing 45kg! The dish contained 30l of milk, 2.5kg of falooda, four bottles of Rooh Afza, 5kg of orange jelly and 3kg of sabja seeds (basil seeds) that became more than 6kg after being soaked.

Barfile Sholay

Four danger-zone contestants were asked to prepare Barfile Sholay with the help of liquid nitrogen. It had layers of saffron and rose jelly, kokum and mango popcorn, followed by coconut foam topped with chocolate. Extra care needed to be taken while handling liquid nitrogen as it could scald if spilled on the skin.