My first journey audition with Master Chef India Season 6 - Rajma Kebabs

One morning I saw a mail which was an invite for me to participate in the Master Chef India Season 6 auditions at Pune.   I was not sure at that point of time and ignored the mail.  After a week, my son send me details of a similar invite he received on Watsapp to me.  I showed this message to my husband and he persuaded me to participate in the audition and give it a try.   I sent out my details and started preparations for the audition round.

The participant was to carry a cooked dish from home and plate it at the venue.  The invite mentioned “Carry the best dish prepared by you and necessary material for plating and garnishing…”  We all met at the dinner table to decide what’s the best dish that could be presented at the audition round i.e. Maggi cutlets, Rajma Kebabs, Baingan Kebab or desserts??? It was a long list….  I did rehearsals cooking few of the above dishes and we finalized on Baingan kebabs as this vegetable when added with spices and deep fried tasted amazing and was probably not a common dish.  You can check out the recipe of Baingan Kebabs by clicking on this link https://premasadukkala.blogspot.com/2015/05/baingan-kebab-eggplant-aubergine-kebab.html

On the day I was to go for audition,  I made 2 pieces of the Kebabs and stuffed some cheese into it before deep frying it….. oh!!! It tasted super delicious…  I finished making all the heart shaped cutlets in the new avtar and named them “Cheesy Baingan Kebabs” and packed them.   Got ready to go for the audition to Hotel Madhav Internationl at Pune where my husband offered to drop me at the venue and then leave for work. 

We did not realize that I would have to wait the entire day to finish with the auditions. My husband planned to take a leave from office and stayed back at the Venue.  There was a process of submitting an identity proof, followed by filling a form with lot of information.  Once that was completed a token was given and then the waiting period started.  I submitted my form at 11:30 am and was called for the first round of audition at 2:30 p.m.  I met different people during this waiting period and had friendly conversations with all.   I was not nervous at all for a change J I guess I was prepared for the interview.  I walked into the interview room with a bright smile as bright as my yellow dress.   Executive chef of JW Marriot – Chef Anuraag Narsingani interviewed me for around 10 minutes and I answered all the questions and was pretty confident to get to the next level.  I did not realize that I had to save some Kebabs for the 2^nd round so distributed them to people in the room waiting for their turn to present their dishes.  Suddenly the organizer came and told me that I was selected for the next round and I had only 1 kebab for presenting for the next round. The next audition was a video round where I answered all the questions and was very confident of cracking it to the next level.   We left the venue at around 8:00 p.m. and we were told that within a week we would get a call if shortlisted.  Exactly after a week they contacted my husband and sent a questionnaire which I was to fill and email them.   It’s almost a month that I have submitted the details and waiting to hear from them.  There were so many talented people who had come for the audition… I am sure it’s a tough job for the judges to choose the final participants.  If it is in my destiny, I am sure I will be there participating in this show… Prayers and fingers crossed.

Hope I have not bored you with this long post… believe me I feel good sharing my stories with all of you.  

Now time to share the Rajma Kebab recipe with all of you!

Ingredients:

Rajma (Kidney Beans) – 1 Cup (Soak this for 5 to 8 hours in water and cook with enough water)

Potatoes – 2 (cooked)

Ginger grated or finely cut -1 inch

Garlic Cloves finely chopped – 3 to 4 cloves

Green Chillies – finely chopped - 2

Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)

Vegetable oil – 2 to 3 tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Amchur Powder – ½ tsp

Gram Flour or Corn Flour – 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (finely cut)

Oil for pan frying

Method :

Wash the soaked Rajma well and cook them in cooker with enough water and 1/4^th tsp of salt.   After a whistle, cook Rajma on low flame for around 15 minutes.  Once the cooker cools down, drain the water and keep the Rajma aside to cool.   Mash it well once it cools down. Cook the potatoes and peel of the skin and mash them with a fork and add it in the mashed Rajma.

Take a pan and add little oil.  Once it is hot, add in the finely sliced onions and saute this till it changes it’s colour to light brown.  Time to add in the ginger, garlic and finely chopped chillies and saute them well till the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes away.  Add in the gram flour and saute well for about 2 to 4 minutes.  Add in the spices, salt  and mix well.  Add in the mashed Rajma and potato and combine this well and adjust the spices and salt as per your taste and cook this till all the water evaporates.  Add the coriander leaves and allow this mixture to cool down.

Shape the mixture into small balls on your palms and flatten them and keep them aside.  In a pan heat oil and transfer the kebabs and pan fry them on low flame till both sides turn golden brown.  Serve them hot with chutney or dip of your choice.

Do try making this dish and subscribe to my blog for more interesting recipes.  Please share this recipe on FB, Twitter, Instagram as Sharing is Caring!!