Mumbai, June 4 : The five finalists of 'MasterChef India Tamil', Zarina Banu, Praveen Kumar, Vani Sundar, Pavithra Nalin, and Akash Muralidharan, were given a special challenge curated by Chef Pooja Dhingra.

Renowned as the 'Macaroon Queen of India', Chef Pooja brought her expertise to the 'MasterChef India Tamil' kitchen, presenting an intricate dish that posed a formidable challenge for the home cooks.

The challenge was to replicate Chef Pooja's macaroon creation with the utmost precision, aiming to match its exact presentation and flavour profile. This task pushed the home cooks to showcase their culinary command, attention to detail, and ability to recreate a dish that epitomises Chef Pooja's culinary finesse.

Joining her in evaluating the culinary creations were judges -- Chefs Koushik Shankar, Shreeya Adka, and Rakesh Raghunathan.

This challenge was not short of difficulties and roadblocks, as Pavithra, as persistent as she has been throughout the season, almost gave up halfway into the cook. Chefs Pooja and Shreeya encouraged not just her, but also Akash to complete their dishes, as presentation was an important aspect of this challenge.

MasterChef India Tamil's in-house dessert queen, Vani, herself found the challenge to be intimidating to recreate Chef Pooja's dish.

From deciphering flavours and textures to mastering artistic plating techniques, every aspect was crucial in ensuring their renditions were on par with the original masterpiece.

Talking about the same, Chef Pooja said: "Stepping back into the MasterChef India kitchen brought back so many memories from my days as a judge. Giving challenges to the finalists was thrilling, and watching them pour their hearts into replicating my dish was truly exciting and nostalgic. The 'MasterChef India Tamil' finale week has been an incredible experience."

"The passion, creativity, and attention to detail shown by the home cooks make this show truly special. I wish all the home cooks the best of luck as they put their best foot forward and enjoy their journey. This is a fantastic opportunity that will shape their future in the culinary world, and I hope they cherish every moment of it," she added.

'MasterChef India Tamil' airs from Monday to Friday at 1 p.m. on Sony LIV.

/IANS