The latest episode of Celebrity MasterChef India Episode 28, aired on March 5, 2025, at 8 PM IST on Sony TV and Sony LIV, brought an intense and creative cooking battle with the Phool Aur Kaante Challenge. With a unique twist of using either flowers or thorns in their dishes, six celebrity contestants competed fiercely to earn safety from the upcoming Black Apron Challenge and elimination.
Let’s dive into all the details, from challenge rules to the best dish winner of the night!
🌟 Safe Contestants Before the Challenge
At the beginning of the episode, the judges—Chef Vikas Khanna, Farah Khan, and Chef Ranveer Brar—greeted the eight remaining celebrity contestants and announced a crucial update from the previous Coconut Team Challenge.
🔹 Archana Gautam, as the winning captain of the Coconut Team Challenge, was declared safe for the entire week.
🔹 As an additional advantage, Archana was allowed to save one of her team members from the challenge. She chose Faisal Shaikh, making both of them immune from elimination this week.
With Archana and Faisal safe, the remaining six contestants had to battle it out in the Phool Aur Kaante Challenge.
🌺🌵 Phool Aur Kaante Challenge – Rules & Contestants’ Selection
The Phool Aur Kaante Challenge was a one-hour cooking competition, where each contestant had to prepare a MasterChef-level dish using either Flowers (Phool) or Thorns (Kaante).
✅ Time Limit: 60 minutes
✅ Pantry Access: Open for only 5 minutes
✅ Advantage: The best dish winner would be safe from the Black Apron Challenge
Archana Gautam, as the winning captain of the previous challenge, was given the power to assign Flowers or Thorns to each contestant. Here’s how she distributed them:
🌺 Given “Phool” (Flowers)
- Tejasswi Prakash
- Kabita Singh
- Gaurav Khanna
🌵 Given “Kaante” (Thorns)
- Usha Nadkarni
- Rajiv Adatia
- Nikki Tamboli
🍽️ Dishes Cooked by Celebrity Contestants
Once the 60-minute timer started, all contestants rushed to the pantry to grab their ingredients. Here’s what each contestant prepared using their assigned Flowers (Phool) or Thorns (Kaante):
🔹 Usha Nadkarni: Kathal Sabzi, Jeera Rice, Dragon Fruit Milkshake, Pineapple Raita 🍍
🔹 Tejasswi Prakash: Rose Kalakand 🌹
🔹 Gaurav Khanna: Jasmine Mousse Glazed with Blue Pea Flower 💙
🔹 Nikki Tamboli: Pineapple Salsa, Jackfruit Kofta with Cashew Sauce 🌵
🔹 Rajiv Adatia: Cactus Tikki 🌵
🔹 Kabita Singh: Rose-Flavored Tres Leches Cake 🌹
⚡ Mid-Challenge Twist – A Helping Hand!
With 20 minutes remaining, the judges introduced a new twist:
Since Usha Nadkarni & Rajiv Adatia were part of the winning Red Team in the Coconut Team Challenge, they were given an advantage—they could take assistance from either Archana Gautam or Faisal Shaikh for 5 minutes.
💡 Both contestants chose Faisal Shaikh, who helped them with plating their dishes to enhance presentation.
🏆 Judging & Best Dish Announcement
After the 60-minute time limit expired, each contestant presented their dish to the judges. The judges tasted every dish carefully, analysing the flavours, creativity, plating, and execution.
Finally, the judges announced the winner of the Phool Aur Kaante Challenge:
🥇 Best Dish Winner: Usha Nadkarni
🔹 Her Kathal Sabzi, Jeera Rice, Dragon Fruit Milkshake, and Pineapple Raita impressed the judges the most!
🔹 As a result, Usha Nadkarni is now safe from the Black Apron Challenge and will not face elimination this week!
🔥 Concluding Thoughts: A Unique & Intense Challenge!
The Phool Aur Kaante Challenge tested the creativity and skills of the celebrity contestants, pushing them to think outside the box. Usha Nadkarni proved her culinary excellence, securing her safety. Meanwhile, the remaining contestants will now have to fight harder in the upcoming Black Apron Challenge to avoid elimination!
What did you think of this episode? Let us know in the comments! 👇🔥