by Episode 9 of MasterChef India Season 9 celebrated Sena Diwas with three highly respected Indian Armed Forces veterans — Col Rajeev Bharwan, Lt Col Kaushalendra Singh, and Col Kaushal Kashyap — joining as special guests. The episode aired on January 15, 2026, and featured nine pairs of contestants competing in an intense Indian Army Regiments-based cooking challenge to stay in the immunity pin race.
During this special episode, each of the nine pairs was allotted a particular army regiment by the three veterans and tasked with creating a dish inspired by that regiment’s theme. By the end of the challenge, three pairs were eliminated from the immunity pin race by the judges — Chef Ranveer Brar, Chef Vikas Khanna, and Chef Kunal Kapur.
The episode began with all pairs of contestants, the three judges, and host Paritosh Tripathi entering the MasterChef kitchen. Paritosh announced the celebration of Sena Diwas and welcomed the special guests — Col Rajeev Bharwan, Lt Col Kaushalendra Singh, and Col Kaushal Kashyap.
The army veterans shared insights about the regiments they had represented and then introduced the Indian Army Regiments-Based Cooking Challenge.
Indian Army Regiments-Based Cooking Challenge Details
All nine pairs still competing for the immunity pin were required to prepare a dish inspired by the regiments allotted to them by the veterans. The contestants who managed to survive this round would move on to compete for the immunity pin in the following episode.
Regiments Allotted to Each Pair
- Rupali Jadhav & Archana Dhotre – Maratha Light Infantry
- Anshmeet Singh & Prabhdeep Kaur – Sikh Regiment
- SaiSri Rachakonda & Chandana Rachakonda – Madras Regiment
- Mehfooz Ansari & Yasmin Ansari – Gorkha Regiment
- Venu Sharma & Avani Sharma – Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
- Deepali Bihani & Jamuna Somani – Rajputana Rifles
- Vikram Gandhe & Ajinkya Gandhe – Grenadiers Regiment
- Anju Pradhan & Manju Ojha – Assam Regiment
- Simran & Himanshi – Parachute Regiment
Challenge Rules
- Contestants were given 90 minutes to complete their dishes.
- The MasterChef pantry remained open for 5 minutes, which counted within the total time.
- Only one member from each pair could collect ingredients from the pantry.
Special Twist Announcement
After 15 minutes of cooking time, the judges stopped the clock to announce a major twist. One pair whose dish appeared weakest would be eliminated immediately during the cooking phase itself.
Additionally, another pair would be eliminated after the cooking time ended — meaning only seven dishes would be tasted by the judges. From those, one more pair would be eliminated based on taste, leaving six pairs to compete in the next day’s immunity pin challenge.
Once the twist was revealed, the clock was restarted with 70 minutes remaining. The cooks resumed their preparations while the judges observed closely to decide which pair would face the first elimination.
First Elimination from Immunity Pin Race
- Simran & Himanshi
With 60 minutes left, the judges stopped the clock once again and announced that Simran and Himanshi were eliminated as their dish looked the weakest and failed to meet MasterChef standards.
Second Elimination from Immunity Pin Race
- SaiSri Rachakonda & Chandana Rachakonda
The judges were not satisfied with the presentation and plating of SaiSri and Chandana’s dish. As a result, they were eliminated from the immunity pin race.
Third Elimination from Immunity Pin Race
- Deepali Bihani & Jamuna Somani
Once all seven remaining pairs presented their dishes, the judges and the three army veterans tasted them. Deepali and Jamuna’s dish, representing the Assam Rifles regiment, failed to impress on taste and was declared the weakest, marking their elimination.
Best Dish of the Challenge
- Rupali Jadhav & Archana Dhotre
Rupali and Archana prepared the best dish while representing the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment. Their creation impressed all three judges and the military veterans. Chef Ranveer Brar praised them with his signature three-tap spoon gesture and his iconic line, “Swaad Aa Gaya!”
Remaining Six Pairs in the Immunity Pin Race
- Rupali Jadhav & Archana Dhotre
- Anshmeet Singh & Prabhdeep Kaur
- Mehfooz Ansari & Yasmin Ansari
- Venu Sharma & Avani Sharma
- Vikram Gandhe & Ajinkya Gandhe
- Anju Pradhan & Manju Ojha
Next Episode Precap: In Episode 10 of MasterChef India Season 9, the immunity pin challenge will take place where the six remaining pairs will compete for the highly prestigious immunity pin.
For more news and updates on MasterChef India Season 9, keep checking this website. If you have any questions related to Episode 9, feel free to leave a comment below.
