Dr. Sakirat Waraich Kahlon - My Goal Was to Put Modern Indian Cuisine on the Map in Norway as the Masterchef Kitchen Helps You to Know Yourself Better as a Cook (Dentist, Masterchef Contestant Norway)

It fills me with immense pride that I am the first one to represent Indian food on the Masterchef Norway platform. My experience has been amazing, I learned so much from the whole food world I was a part of. I did try my best to present as many Indian flavors and fusions as possible.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am a 31-year dentist married to a cardiologist and a mother to a 3-year-old daughter. I work full time as a dentist with a master's in aesthetic dentistry in my own clinic in Norway but love to cook. I just applied for Masterchef Norway 2020 with the thought that my flavors have always been loved and appreciated so much that I should give it a try. And from that day there has been no looking back when Indian modern cuisine is talked about in Norway, my name does pop up.

2. What led you to take up this career path?

Well, MasterChef was because I am a big foodie, homesickness and being away from India made me explore Indian food in detail. Dentistry was always my career choice because believe it or not I like to make people smile.

3. Does one's approach change when cooking professionally and at home?

Well, yes there are differences in Professional and private cooking. But that is mainly due to the quantity of preparation but I don't think there is any compromising in flavors whether you cook at home or at a restaurant. And for me, I love to plate food well even when I have to eat by myself. It just gives me joy.

Professional cooking does involve more preparation and you have to keep in mind that the food is out of the kitchen in time. I recently did a kitchen take over at a known hotel in the city of Kongsberg where I live and the adrenaline to deliver food at the right time, flavor and consistency are huge.

4. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

Well, that will from my Masterchef journey I did create a white chocolate spaghetti with dates-nuts balls along strawberry basil sauce using molecular gastronomy. I love molecular cuisine it's just so much fun and innovative. It does take time but this science has no end. The other dish will be the dish inspired by my mothers cooking filled paneer pockets with makhni gravy.

5. Can cooking be learned at culinary schools or natural talent is required?

I believe you can learn to cook from schools, it's like doing so many other degrees but I think the chances to succeed and excel in this field increase if you have natural talent and passion for food.

6. Being the first Indian in Masterchef Norway, what was your experience, what did you learn from it?

Well, it fills me with immense pride that I am the first one to represent Indian food on the Masterchef Norway platform. My experience has been amazing, I learned so much from the whole food world I was a part of. I did try my best to present as many Indian flavors and fusions as possible. My goal was to put modern Indian cuisine on the map in Norway. And very grateful that I was so appreciated for it. Even the Indian Embassy in Norway found me worthy of their appreciation.

We as contestants exchanged so many views about food that it was overwhelming. To stand in that kitchen and cook is very stressful but at the same time when you complete a dish and judges love it, it fills you with so much contentment. I being a vegetarian did face additional difficulties but did learn so much about the non-vegetarian ingredients as well along the journey.

The MasterChef kitchen helps you to know yourself better as a cook, I created so many new dishes in the kitchen that I had never done at home earlier. You become so brave to try new things and the quest to be innovative just crosses all limits.

You are out of your comfort zone many times but you then win by being comfortable in all those uncomfortable zones when you stay so long in the show. I was part of 16 episodes out of the total of 20 episodes, so I am really happy that could be a part of such a long journey of Masterchef Norway 2020.