Junior MasterChef winnerSarthak Bhardwaj plans to write a recipe book for kids. By Divya Kaushik
His can be an ideal rag to riches story. From running a Maggi point in Dehradun to be a reality show’s winner, every thing wasn’t a cakewalk. But Sarthak Bhardwaj kept faith in his passion and rose high.
One of his mother’s recipe got him an opportunity to be one of the contestants of Junior MasterChef India-Swaad Ke Ustaad and it was his mother’s recipe again that helped him emerge as the winner of the show. Sarthak is the first Junior MasterChef and he is proud to share that whenever he was in doubt he always thought of his mother’s cooking style. “It was her idea that I should present litti chokha to the judges when I went for the auditions of the show. Even in the finale I was confused on how to get started. As we got a five-minute break on the sets I went up to her and asked her what can I do. I was already thinking of nargisi kofta, the dish I had learnt from one of the cookery shows on TV, but it was a non-vegetarian dish. My mother suggested that I can do something with moong ki daal. So I made nargisi kofta from moong daal halwa and pulao. The idea was to be creative and present something new. So twisted the recipe and thankfully it turned out to be good,” said Sarthak, who so far hasn’t reached his home town, Dehradun. He is meeting his relatives with his mother and he says “wherever I go people on street recognise me. They want to get clicked with me and take autographs. All this is very new to me but it is the best part of my win.” His school teachers and friends have been calling him ever since he was announced the winner. He is sure that “many gifts are awaiting me in Dehradun.”
Sarthak says that his co-contestants during the finale — Emanuel Chauhan and Sakshi Tripathi were strong contenders for the title, too. “Each one of us was equally good. It was not easy to make up till the finale and every time the results were announced I really used to get scared. It was a lot of hard work and learning,” he said. As a winner he received scholarship worth Rs20 lakh from Star Plus. “I am really glad that now I can concentrate completely on my studies. Since last four months my focus was the show but now I have to cover up the course very fast. My teachers and principal have been supporting me throughout,” added Sarthak, who is presently in class eight.
Sarthak says cooking has always been his passion and hobby and he will continue to cook. “But I don’t see myself becoming a chef. I would go for higher studies and be a part of Indian Military Academy. I will cook occasionally as it is my passion. I want to share what I have learnt on the show and I might come up with a recipe book for children,” he ended.