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The Dapper Masterchef

Meet Rishi Desai, the scientist who can make you drool (over great food, we mean!)

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Over the weeks, Masterchef Australia Season 5 contestant Rishi Desai has fascinated Indian foodies — and given pro Indian chefs something to ‘munch’ on — as they’ve watched him give a unique dimension to Indian cuisine.

Now what if we told you that a lucky few in Mumbai got a taste of Rishi’s “Modern Indian food”, as he likes to call it.  Rishi cooked up a meal for a select few at Sofitel Mumbai BKC on Friday, while in the city on a promotional tour for the upcoming ‘Celebrate Australia festival’.

No, he isn’t here because he won the MasterChef. Yes, most of us thought he’d win, and so did he. “I mean, I thought I was going to win too,” he told Megan Doherty of the The Canberra Times after he got eliminated on August 28, after reaching the top four Even the social media and the twitter sphere went into meltdown over his elimination (as reported by various Australian media).

But Rishi has moved on, and we’ll only be getting to see more of him. At least that’s what he hints.
“While this trip to India is “mostly for promotions,” Rishi said he’s also looking at offers for TV shows”, among other things. He promised us that we’ll be hearing about something soon.

Excerpts of our chat with him...
Visit to India
Of his first trip to India after appearing on MasterChef, Rishi says “I won’t be able to visit Kolhapur (his hometown), but my mom’s come down to be with me. And we are travelling together to Pune,” where he’s headed next for the promotions and a family reunion of sorts, as his sisters live in Pune.

During his visit, Rishi also reached out to his fanbase on Twitter and Facebook for recommendations of places to dine. In Delhi, he chose the Pandara’s Road’s Gulati, known for its dhaba-like fare, and tried the Teesriya Masala, Bhangda and Pomfret at Highway Gomantak in Mumbai.

Rishi says, he was only too glad to get a taste of things in the city he once lived in. “It’s been around seven years since I visited Mumbai. I’ve lived here for nine months, while working with Reliance. I was part of the July 26 deluge...”

On ‘engineering’ flavours
Those who’ve followed Rishi on the show would know that Rishi idolises Heston Blumenthal. His approach to cooking is inspired from what Blumenthal often says. “You eat with all the five senses. Taste is just one of them. So what happens to the other four senses?,” Rishi asks rhetorically.
“There’s always something more you can do with food, without taking the fusion route,” he says.
His belief, he says is to keep the flavours intact, “not mix Italian or French cuisine with Indian,” but perhaps use their techniques. 

Molecular gastronomy is another of the culinary processes that fascinates this scientist. And while he confesses that he’s yet to explore it to his satisfaction, he says he’s tried creating Heston-inspired ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

Work and passion
A Polymer Engineer with a masters in Materials Science and Engineering, Rishi is now back to work, examining patents. But the fact that he’s incharge of examining food patents could perhaps be a sign to indicate that he’s cut out for all things ‘food’.

The good news is that he feels that way too. “Pop up restaurants over the weekends and working at the office is what things are like now. I am also working on my book on modern Indian food. My office is very supportive, specially my boss. I will continue doing my job and pursue my passion on the side, until something concrete comes up.”

Things you didn’t know about Rishi
He is married...
For over 12 years now. In fact, it was his wife Mitra, who pushed him to audition for MasterChef. The two met in 1997, and got married three years later, before they were to fly together for further studies in the US. “I have known her for 15 years now, I don’t remember life without her,” Rishi tells us.

He has a son
Sharang is seven-years-old.

His mom’s runs a spice store
Yes, in Kolhapur.

He’s been invited to inaugurate a mall in Melbourne
...And he can’t figure out why.

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