by The battle for the trophy has begun as the first Mystery Box Challenge of MasterChef India Season 9 took place in Episode 6, which aired on January 12, 2026, on SET TV and streamed simultaneously on SonyLIV. All 12 pairs of contestants participated in this challenge, competing fiercely in the MasterChef kitchen for a major advantage.
Chefs Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, and Kunal Kapur closely observed the teams throughout the Mystery Box Challenge as all the contestants prepared their dishes using ingredients from their respective mystery boxes.
The episode began with the three judges — Chef Vikas Khanna, Chef Ranveer Brar, and Chef Kunal Kapur — entering the MasterChef kitchen alongside host Paritosh Tripathi. Soon after, all 12 pairs of contestants arrived and were welcomed with gifts from Veeba. The judges then announced that the Divine Mystery Box Challenge would take place.
Host Paritosh Tripathi revealed the details and ingredients of each of the six Divine Mystery Boxes, opening them one by one to unveil what was inside.
All Six Divine Mystery Boxes and Their Ingredients
Each Divine Mystery Box represented a revered Hindu deity and contained a unique set of ingredients. The boxes were as follows:
- Box 1 (Lord Ganesha): Banana, Mosambi, Chana Dal, Dhurva Grass, Hibiscus Flowers, Coconut, and Rice
- Box 2 (Lord Shiva): Makhana, Guava, Blue Pea Flowers, Wood Apple, Barley, Bhaang Seeds, Kuttu Flour, and Milk
- Box 3 (Goddess Parvati): Sugarcane, Apple, Spinach, Ash Gourd, Raw Banana, Marigold Flowers, Honey, and Sesame Seeds
- Box 4 (Lord Ram): Ginger, Ber (Jujube), Chironji, Suji, Lemon, Kand Mool, Sama Ke Chawal, and Mango
- Box 5 (Lord Hanuman): Drumsticks, Pomegranate, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Kesar, White Musli, Jasmine Flowers, and Betel Leaves
- Box 6 (Lord Krishna): White Butter, Black Grapes, Jackfruit, Mishri, Poha, Fresh Tulsi, Cucumber, and Peanuts
Divine Mystery Box Challenge Rules
After unveiling all six boxes, the rules for the Divine Mystery Box Challenge were announced:
- Each pair must select one Divine Mystery Box representing a specific Hindu deity.
- Only two pairs can choose the same type of Divine Mystery Box.
- At least two ingredients from the chosen box must be used in the dish.
- The time limit for the challenge is 75 minutes.
- The main MasterChef pantry will remain closed during the challenge.
- Dishes will be judged on taste, innovation, and presentation.
- The creators of the best dish will receive a major advantage in the next challenge.
Mystery Boxes Chosen by Each Pair
After the rules were announced, the judges asked each pair to select their preferred Divine Mystery Box. The choices were as follows:
- Kanchana Devi & Raksha Devi – Goddess Parvati Mystery Box
- Venu Sharma & Avani Sharma – Goddess Parvati Mystery Box
- Simran & Himanshi – Lord Krishna Mystery Box
- Anju Pradhan & Manju Ojha – Lord Krishna Mystery Box
- Mehfooz Ansari & Yasmin Ansari – Lord Ram Mystery Box
- Vishnu Purohit & Harshani Awasthi – Lord Ram Mystery Box
- Vikram Gandhe & Ajinkya Gandhe – Lord Ganesha Mystery Box
- SaiSri Rachakonda & Chandana Rachakonda – Lord Ganesha Mystery Box
- Parvati Soni & Hemang Soni – Lord Hanuman Mystery Box
- Deepali Bihani & Jamuna Somani – Lord Hanuman Mystery Box
- Rupali Jadhav & Archana Dhotre – Lord Shiva Mystery Box
- Anshmeet Singh & Prabhdeep Kaur – Lord Shiva Mystery Box
Challenge Performance and Results
Once all pairs selected their boxes, they began cooking using the ingredients of their chosen deity’s box. The 75-minute countdown started, and after time ran out, each team presented their dish to the judges. The judges then revealed the top two dishes of the challenge, as well as the best dish overall.
Top 2 Dishes:
- Archana & Rupali – Kuttu Atta Cake, Kheer, and Peru Cream
- Mehfooz Ansari & Yasmin Ansari – Shraddha
Best Dish:
- Mehfooz Ansari & Yasmin Ansari (Shraddha)
Mehfooz and Yasmin were declared the winners of the Divine Mystery Box Challenge for their dish Shraddha, which impressed all three judges with its taste, innovation, and presentation. The duo will receive a significant advantage in the next challenge.
Next Episode Precap: In Episode 7 of MasterChef India Season 9, all 12 pairs of contestants will face another challenging cooking round, where Mehfooz and Yasmin’s major advantage will also be revealed.
For more exciting updates on MasterChef India Season 9, keep visiting our website. If you have any questions about Episode 6, feel free to leave a comment below.
