Bhubaneswar: He makes it look like a painter’s pallet, balancing out the tastes, colours, and textures. Not surprising that he had dabbled with colours before stepping into the world of food.
“We eat with our eyes first,” said MasterChef India Season 6 winner from Odisha Abinas Nayak, whose plating at the reality cooking show won him praises from the judges and enhanced the whole impression complimenting the taste that lingered on.
Odisha Bytes caught up with Abinas as he waited at the airport to board a flight to Bhubaneswar on Thursday. It was to be his first visit to his native place at Aska after winning the coveted title and he was eager to see the reactions back home.
He had a packed schedule ahead and amid going through security checks at the airport, he revealed the road ahead of him.
THE FOOD JOURNEY CONTINUES
“When I started cooking about four years ago, I found only one book for reference on Odia cuisine. I wish to travel across the country, particularly Odisha, and document food stories in the form of a book and show. Let’s see how it all pans out,” said Abinas, who had quit his job at a reputed IT firm to pursue his dream after making it to the Top 10 of Masterchef India.
But before that, he will leave for Bali, Indonesia, on March 11 for a pop up on Odia food under the Lokicooks Fellowship, which he had won in 2019.
And when not traveling, he is sure to whip up something in his kitchen.
Is a restaurant with Odia cuisine also in the offing? “I always had that in mind, to popularise Odia cuisine across the globe, but there are no immediate plans. I need to gain knowledge about the food industry before deciding to launch my own outlet,” said Abinas.
THE BEGINNING
The techie-turned-chef picked up cooking out of curiosity when he shifted to Thiruvanantapuram for his first job after completing engineering from Gandhi Institute for Technology Advancement, Bhubaneswar. “While in college, I used to assist my roommates who were good in cooking. The job got me into the kitchen and soon, I found myself experimenting with the look and cooking technique while keeping the flavours intact,” he said.
What amazed him was how one ingredient could change a whole dish. He also kept watching shows and online videos to better his craft.
“Being a painter, I would use innovative methods for plating and soon realised that I have to give a contemporary twist to comfort food, which I loved, to make it more appealing,” he said.
In 2018, he entered a cooking contest and won it. That was a boost. Soon, he held a pop up in Bhubaneswar and presented Odia cuisine in a modern avatar. With its success, he began experimenting more, keeping in mind the need to promote regional cuisine through the use of regional ingredients.
“These events gave me the confidence and exposure to try my luck on a bigger platform like MasterChef India,” said Abinas, a self-proclaimed foodie.
MASTERCHEF INDIA
‘Jai Ho Odisha’, a compliment from chef Vineet Bhatia, one of the judges, marked his entry to the cooking reality show. “Chicken Besara, which I had cooked at the audition, will remain one of my favourites. People usually associate besara with fish, it was my way of giving it a twist,” said Abinas, who prepared more than 12 unconventional dishes at the competition.
His other favourites were ‘Hibiscus Rasagola’, ‘Adda Mangsha’ and ‘Chhena Poda and Rice Kheer’ mousse. “I took the Rasagola battle to MasterChef,” he said laughing. And what a case he made for Odisha’s claim as the origin of the syrupy dessert.
His Masterchef journey had a lot to do with endorsing Odia cuisine. Abinas and Smrutishree (his co-contestant from Odisha) attempt to give a modern twist to traditional dishes was well appreciated by the judges. “Three of our dishes – two of Smrutishree’s and one of mine – found a place on the Grand Dish Wall. Cuisines from the East dominated the show,” he said.
Abinas drew inspiration from his childhood memories while taking up the challenges thrown at him by the judges. “We had little time to think. Keeping the available ingredients, I planned my dishes,” he said.
The pop ups and competition, in which he had participated earlier, helped him to think fast and served the best he could. “I had practised a lot and cooked at different levels and these came handy at the show,” he said.
His best moment in the Masterchef journey was the arrival of his paternal grandmother on the sets. “With her around, I felt more relaxed and she made cooking more enjoyable for me. It felt good to see her smiling at me from the balcony,” he said.
On March 1, Abinas was announced the winner of MasterChef India 6. He beat Oindrila Bala to take home the golden chef coat, trophy and prize money of Rs 25 lakh.
The experience of MasterChef India and lessons on time management and food techniques he learnt are sure to make his journey ahead both delectable and inspiring.
