Their ambitions for Tamil cuisine extend beyond its familiar staples. Sashi champions kambu kanji, a preparation of pearl millet and rice with curd, onion, salt and chilli. He likes its suitability for hot weather and would prefer it served without modern embellishments. “You shouldn’t meddle with it,” he says.
His affection for dishes that need no reinvention extends to food from beyond Tamil Nadu, too. Sashi’s all-time favourite, char kway teow, a stir-fried flat noodle dish, is another preparation he would leave untouched by fine-dining ambitions. Its appeal lies in the umami imparted by the wok, sweet soy sauce, Chinese sausage and prawns. “Some dishes are meant to be enjoyed in their original form,” he says. It is a sentiment that runs through his approach to traditional food: technique and presentation have their place, but neither should overwhelm what makes a dish special in the first place.
Venkatesh points to koli milagu curry and meen kuzhambu as dishes that deserve greater international recognition. He argues that Tamil Nadu’s culinary traditions have been reduced too often to idli and dosa, despite the depth of its regional recipes and ingredients. Shreeya cautions against choosing a single dish to represent the cuisine, given its many regional variations
That diversity also makes flavour balance particularly important. Sashi believes a dish needs the right interplay of spice, tanginess and even a hint of sweetness to allow its ingredients to shine. “To elevate all the spices and aromatics that go into a dish, that balance of spicy, tangy and just a tinge of sweetness is very important,” he says. Shreeya, meanwhile, sees adaptability as the defining quality contestants need to develop. The pressure of the kitchen can unsettle even confident cooks, she says, but what matters is how quickly they learn from their mistakes and recover. The ability to adjust, rather than cling to a failing plan, can make all the difference.
Inside the competition kitchen, the celebrities must learn quickly from their mistakes. Venkatesh believes observant contestants can learn from the feedback given to others rather than repeat their errors. Shreeya identifies adaptability as essential, particularly when pressure disrupts a cook’s usual rhythm. For all three judges, the celebrity status of the contestants is secondary. What matters is what arrives on the plate. As Venkatesh puts it, “The plate is what is judged and not the person.”
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Dining and Cooking