F3— Family, Food and Formula 1. The three things that mean the world to me, in the order they appear of course.” That’s how Rishi Desai describes his world. The Kolhapur boy is sizzling on MasterChef Australia for his culinary skills as well as good looks. In India on a short trip, Rishi took some time out to chat with t2.

Pssst: Has Rishi won MasterChef Australia already? Ahem, let’s not spoil that for you!

What brings you to India?

Just some work and also meeting up with family. My mum lives in Kolhapur while my sister is in Pune. I have been dividing time between family and travelling to cities like Bombay and Delhi for work.

What made you want to participate in MasterChef Australia?

I have been watching MasterChef ever since I moved to Australia a few years ago. I loved the show and would make the dishes shown on it at home. Eventually, I became a die-hard MasterChef fan and made it a point not to miss a single episode. My wife Mitra would keep saying: ‘Oh, you should participate in MasterChef’, but I would not take her seriously. But my wife was convinced that I would do a good job on MasterChef because she knows how I cook. Eventually, I came around to the idea of trying my luck on the show, but my son Shaarang was too young and I wanted him to grow up a little and go to school and understand why daddy needed to be away for so long while he was on the show. I applied for this season of the show, they liked what I cooked and I was in. It was that easy.

Has cooking always been a passion?

I’ve been cooking since I was five… that’s what my mum tells me. She’s a passionate cook and growing up, I helped her in the kitchen and learnt from her. I would try out a lot of recipes and experiment a bit, but all with Indian food. Then, I went to Australia which is such a multi-cultural country and has so much diversity in cuisine. I quickly realised that I had a talent for picking up cuisines easily… whether it was Indian or Southeast Asian or Australian… and that if I was serious enough, I could even make it a career.

So what was Rishi rustling up at age five or 10 or 15?

At five, I was just cooking two-minute noodles! (Laughs) I gradually moved on to basic stuff like rotis and dal and curries and then started experimenting with meats by the time I was 13 or 14.

What have been the best moments on MasterChef for you?

The biggest high for me on MasterChef was when Heston (Blumenthal, one of the most awarded chefs in the world) came on it. He’s my hero and just working with him in the same kitchen… talking to him about food… was an enriching and life-altering experience. He’s the biggest chef ever and to interact with him on a personal level was the best thing. I was the only contestant who cooked on all four days that Heston was in the MasterChef kitchen. Also, cooking for my family on the show was special. They loved what I made. The third best memory would be cooking at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). For any cricket lover, the MCG is iconic and just being in the middle of that electric atmosphere and cooking and coming out right on top was fantastic.

What’s been your biggest takeaway from MasterChef?

It would be the learning I derived from the show. The judges give you a lot of tips… you learn a lot from your fellow contestants. Plus, the guests who come on the show are some of the biggest names in food production in the world. Just observing them at work… breathing the same air that they breathe… was a masterclass for me.

How often do you cook at home?

We kind of share the cooking at home. When I take my son out for his sports and stuff, my wife takes over the kitchen. Otherwise, you will find me cooking most of the time.

Indian cuisine has been your strength on MasterChef. What would be on the menu if you invited close friends over for dinner?

I have a really diverse group of friends… Australians, Indians… some friends from the UK and Singapore. They are all big foodies. My British friends love my butter chicken. I would make a nice mutton curry with rotis and naan. Biryani would definitely be on the list because that’s my favourite (smiles).

What’s your biggest strength in the kitchen?

The ability to handle pressure. As you must have seen on MasterChef, I don’t get flustered easily. I think that comes from my engineering background… to keep calm and employ my analytical and logical ability. On the show, when I was pushed to a corner, I would keep telling myself: ‘Hold on, there’s nothing to panic about. It’s just cooking at the end of the day.’ This attitude has really worked for me.

You have apparently been pigging out on this trip!

Oh yeah, oh yeah! I landed in Delhi first and wanted to eat Indian food the moment I reached! (Laughs) There’s a hugely popular dhaba called Gulati in Delhi’s Pandara Road and their mutton is to die for. Yesterday (Wednesday), I flew into Bombay and the first thing I did was try some awesome seafood.

How do you plan to leverage the MasterChef Australia experience?

I am in the process of writing a cookbook that should come out early next year. I have already written it, actually, and the process of publication has started. I have done some cookouts in Canberra and done some food and wine pairing sessions. These sessions have been really helpful in gauging how people are warming up to my food. I also have a few pop-up restaurants, but my ultimate plan is to set up my own restaurant. God willing, that should happen in a couple of years, if not sooner.

On the show, your good looks have been as much in focus as your cooking. One hears you have a lot of female fans…

(Laughs out loud) I am flattered, you say that. Honestly, I haven’t really gone through the demographics of my fans, but if you say it’s more female than male, I am more than happy to agree with you! (Laughs)