The heat in the kitchen just turned up a notch in Celebrity MasterChef India Episode 53, which aired on 9 April 2025 at 8 PM on Sony TV and streamed on Sony Liv. With the Grand Finale just around the corner, this episode delivered an epic showdown between the top 5 celebrity contestants and three celebrated professional chefs, along with a surprise visit by Bollywood’s comic charm, Chunky Panday, who brought in the laughs while the cooks brought their A-game!
Celebrity Cooks Step Into a High-Stakes Challenge
As the top 5 celebrity finalists—Tejasswi Prakash, Gaurav Khanna, Faisal Shaikh, Rajiv Adatia, and Nikki Tamboli—entered the MasterChef kitchen, they were greeted by the iconic judges Chef Vikas Khanna, Farah Khan, and Chef Ranveer Brar. But today wasn’t just another day—it was the Celebrity Cooks vs Professional Chefs Challenge, and the competition was about to get fierce.
To make the game more interesting, three professional chefs were introduced as opponents:
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Chef Ishjyot Suri
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Chef Reena Samby
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Chef Gaurav Malhotra
Challenge Rules: Ingredients vs Time
In a twist that tested both strategic thinking and culinary skill, the celebrity cooks had to sacrifice cooking time to gain access to more diverse Pantry Boxes. The more time they kept, the fewer ingredients they had access to. Here’s how the pantry tiers broke down:
| Time Left | Pantry Included |
|---|---|
| 100 mins | Staples |
| 95 mins | + Spices & Herbs |
| 90 mins | + Pulses and Grains |
| 85 mins | + Aromatics |
| 80 mins | + Protein |
| 75 mins | + Fruits |
| 70 mins | + Alcohol |
| 65 mins | + Nuts and Seeds |
| 60 mins | + Seafood |
| 55 mins | + Vegetables |
Pantry Choices by Celebrity Cooks:
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Tejasswi Prakash: 80 Minutes Pantry
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Gaurav Khanna: 75 Minutes Pantry
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Faisal Shaikh: 75 Minutes Pantry
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Rajiv Adatia: 55 Minutes Pantry
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Nikki Tamboli: 55 Minutes Pantry
Pantry Choices by Professional Chefs:
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Chef Ishjyot Suri: 95 Minutes Pantry
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Chef Reena Samby: 80 Minutes Pantry
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Chef Gaurav Malhotra: 55 Minutes Pantry
Dishes Cooked by Celebrity Cooks
With time ticking and ingredients limited, each celebrity contestant put their creativity to the test:
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Tejasswi Prakash – Chicken Tikke
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Nikki Tamboli – Strawberry Chilli Prawn
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Rajiv Adatia – Tart with Pistachio Crust
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Gaurav Khanna – Plum Cake
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Faisal Shaikh – Rosemary Savle with Toor Dal Halwa
Dishes Cooked by Professional Chefs
The professional chefs also brought their culinary expertise to the kitchen:
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Chef Ishjyot Suri – Aate Ka Halwa
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Chef Gaurav Malhotra – Chicken Roulade
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Chef Reena Samby – Gosht Ka Halwa
Judgment Time: Tasting & Results
Once the cooking time was over, all dishes were presented to the judges for tasting. With flavours ranging from savoury to sweet and from traditional to experimental, the tasting session was filled with anticipation.
After much deliberation, the judges revealed the Best Dish—and it ended in a tie between:
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Chef Gaurav Malhotra
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Nikki Tamboli
This tie brought relief and joy to the celebrity contestants as it meant no elimination before the Grand Finale. A massive sigh of relief echoed through the kitchen, and the excitement for the next day’s big episode reached a fever pitch.
What’s Next: Grand Finale Sneak Peek
With the Grand Finale set to air tomorrow, all five celebrity finalists remain in the game, ready to battle it out one last time. And there’s a cherry on top—India’s legendary Chef Sanjeev Kapoor will appear as a special guest, adding prestige and pressure to the biggest cooking day of the season.
The stakes are high, the competition is intense, and only one celebrity cook will walk away with the Chef’s coat and the Celebrity MasterChef India Season 1 trophy.
Stay tuned and don’t miss a second of the action!