The latest episode of Celebrity MasterChef India Episode 17, aired on 18 February 2025, at 8 PM on Sony TV and streamed on Sony LIV, brought an exciting Blind Wall Challenge that tested the contestants’ communication, coordination, and cooking skills like never before.
With 10 celebrity contestants competing in pairs, the challenge came with unexpected twists, advantages, and disadvantages, making it one of the most thrilling and unpredictable episodes of the season so far! Let’s break down all the action, including the mini challenge results, Blind Wall Challenge rules, and surprises thrown in by the judges!
Mini Challenge – A Crucial Advantage for One Contestant!
As soon as the 10 remaining contestants entered the MasterChef Kitchen, they were greeted by the three judges:
👨🍳 Chef Vikas Khanna
🎬 Farah Khan
👨🍳 Chef Ranveer Brar
The judges revealed that before the main Blind Wall Challenge, the contestants would have to go through a Mini Challenge.
📌 Challenge Format:
✅ The contestants had to cook in pairs, but first, a mini challenge would decide a major advantage or disadvantage for them.
✅ As the winner of the previous Festival Challenge, Usha Nadkarni got the advantage of choosing her own partner, and she picked Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim.
✅ The rest of the pairs were assigned by the judges:
- Tejasswi Prakash & Gaurav Khanna
- Archana Gautam & Nikki Tamboli
- Rajiv Adatia & Kabita Singh
- Faisal Shaikh & Ayesha Jhulka
Each pair then had 30 seconds to decide which one member would participate in the mini challenge. The selected contestants were:
- Tejasswi Prakash
- Nikki Tamboli
- Rajiv Adatia
- Ayesha Jhulka
Mini Challenge Rules & Results
📌 Blindfolded Challenge:
The selected contestants were blindfolded and placed in front of mystery ingredient cubes. They could touch, smell, and even taste the ingredients before guessing them.
❌ If they failed to guess correctly, that ingredient would become the core ingredient for their main dish!
💡 Results:
🏆 Winner: Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim – She could choose any ingredient from a selection of 50 ingredients on the table.
❌ Losers (Core Ingredients Assigned):
- Nikki Tamboli → Zucchini
- Rajiv Adatia → Black Carrot
- Ayesha Jhulka → Tofu
- Tejasswi Prakash → Pumpkin
This meant that their main cooking challenge dish would have to feature these ingredients, making it more difficult for them.
Blind Wall Challenge – The Ultimate Test of Coordination!
Once the mini challenge concluded, the judges introduced the Blind Wall Challenge – a test of communication and precision cooking.
📌 Challenge Rules:
✅ Each pair had a wall between their cooking platforms, meaning they couldn’t see each other.
✅ Both contestants in a pair had to make identical dishes by communicating only through their voices.
✅ They had 60 minutes to complete the challenge.
✅ Before the cooking began, pairs were given 10 extra minutes to discuss their dish and its ingredients.
Pantry Round – Who Collected Ingredients?
📌 Only one contestant from each pair was allowed to go to the pantry to collect ingredients within 5 minutes.
📌 The contestants who went to the pantry were:
- Tejasswi Prakash
- Nikki Tamboli
- Kabita Singh
- Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim
- Faisal Shaikh
After gathering all the ingredients, the 60-minute timer started, and the cooking challenge officially began!
Twist: Bosch Steam Oven Must Be Used!
Halfway through the challenge, the judges announced a major twist!
📢 Twist: Every pair had to incorporate the Bosch Steam Oven into their dish in some way.
This added an unexpected layer of difficulty, forcing the contestants to adjust their cooking strategies on the spot.
Disadvantage for Nikki Tamboli & Archana Gautam!
📢 Another shocker came when the judges penalized Nikki Tamboli & Archana Gautam for their poor performance in the Festival Challenge the previous day.
📌 Punishment:
🎧 Both contestants were given headphones playing loud music for 10 minutes, making it impossible for them to communicate with their partners.
This left the pair, struggling to give instructions blindly to each other, increasing the difficulty of the challenge!
Advantage for Usha Nadkarni & Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim!
📢 As Usha Nadkarni won the Festival Challenge, she and Dipika Kakkar Ibrahim were given a major advantage!
📌 Advantage:
🔹 The window between their wall was opened for 5 minutes, allowing them to see each other’s cooking and make necessary corrections.
This gave them a huge edge over the other contestants, allowing them to perfectly match their dishes!
What’s Next in Celebrity MasterChef India Episode 18?
👀 The Blind Wall Challenge continues in the next episode!
❓ Which pair will create the most identical dish?
❌ Which contestant will fail to replicate their dish correctly?
The intense pressure, strategic planning, and communication breakdowns will determine who moves ahead and who struggles in the next round of the competition!
Stay tuned for Celebrity MasterChef India Episode 18 for the final results of the Blind Wall Challenge!