Odia boy Abinas Nayak has reportedly won Season 6 of the most popular cooking reality show, MasterChef India, which ended to a glittering finale recently. The 26-year-old from Berhampur used to ply his trade as a Senior Systems Engineer at Infosys before switching to professional cooking. In a tête-à-tête with Chaitali Shome of Orissa Post, he lays bare the inspiration behind his unusual switch. Excerpts:
What is your take on the viral news of you winning MasterChef India Season 6?
I feel good that people and news channels are declaring me as the winner. However, there is no truth in it as it’s a rumour still. It’s related to my winning the golden apron. I will definitely tell people when I won. On March 1, the finale will be telecasted. I think a journalist from Mumbai spread the news. It is unfortunate as millions watch to know the result.
Who among the three celebrity chefs guided you the most?
All three Masterchefs (Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Vineet Bhatia) are great. They have different techniques while guiding a contestant. Three of them have guided me whereas Ranveer Brar is very strict and Vineet Bhatia is very sweet in supporting contestants. As far as Vikash Khanna is concerned, he is too much into details.
Can you share any interesting instance that occurred behind the scenes?
I am not allowed to tell much about it. At times, we shoot for 14-15 hours a day. All we have to do is to concentrate on the tasks given at Masterchef.
Tell us more about your journey?
I used to work in Infosys Thrivandum. I started learning cooking since 2016. During this period, I watched Masterchef episodes. I always made sure that my dishes were perfect. My friends appreciated my cooking. Initially, I participated in a competition titled ‘Kichi Nua Kichi Puruna’, another one called ‘Mo Matti’ and won a few other culinary competitions. My first dish was Chicken Besara with modern touch. My father was with me when I won the audition round. When I served them and didn’t get any comment, I was very scared. Then they said just take your apron and you are in the show. My parents were puzzled when they saw their engineer son indulge in professional cooking.
Tell us about your professional ambitions.
One of those is to take Odia cuisines abroad and make it a Michelin star dish. There is no Michelin star restaurant in India. So I have to work hard and open restaurants abroad. Besides, I want to learn and cook more traditional dishes. Further, there are a few culinary colleges in Odisha. If I feel that there is a need of such an institution in the state, I will definitely open it.
What is your advice for young aspirants?
Cook Odia food and post it on social media and proudly showcase your roots. Showcase your regional and ancestral traditions. It will help in keeping the tradition alive.
How do you feel to be back in your home state?
Eating ‘Maa Ke Haath ka Khana’ is my favourite hobby after being back.