After eight gruelling weeks, the final three contestants return to the MasterChef kitchen for the very last time in a bid to be crowned the best amateur chef in Britain.
Here Anurag, Chariya and Omar tell all about their journey and if they have what it takes to rise to the top.
Q What is your first memory of cooking?
ANURAG: I’ve been cooking since the age of 10. My very first cooking memory was to make a cup of Indian Chai (tea) on a stove for my late mum.
CHARIYA: When I was a very young age, I loved playing with cooking toys, pretending to be a chef and running my own restaurant. I first learnt how to make an omelette when I was four years old with a step stool to reach the stove and I have loved cooking since.
OMAR: I didn’t have the most foodie childhood. I started properly getting into cooking when I moved to London in my 20s but growing up, there were always beautiful home-cooked dinners. My Mum is a very classic, great cook.
Q What was your high point of the series?
ANURAG: Cooking for people in The Francis Crick Institute in the semi-finals. That place and people are a gift to humanity by contributing so much to health and science.
It was very personal to me as my mother fought her battle with cancer before she passed 10 years ago. So, you never know if this place or anyone among the guests in some way might have contributed to reduce my mother’s suffering.
CHARIYA: When chef Monica Galetti walked into the MasterChef kitchen. She is my idol.
OMAR: Cooking at Core with Clare Smyth for me was the most perfect experience. I have idolised Clare for a very long time so to cook under her mentorship was something I will never forget.
Q What is your worst culinary disaster, either on the show or at home?
ANURAG: I take pride in my oven-based chicken biryani recipe and it is almost bullet proof. However, on two occasions when we had invited several people at our home, the rice remained raw.
CHARIYA: I think the worst one is that I forgot to put 20 eggs in my cake. When you’re cooking in such a high pressure in the professional kitchen, the last thing I need is to forget to put the ingredients in the dish.
OMAR: When preparing for the Showstopper round I really wanted to make the Shepherd’s Pie/Trifle from Friends when Rachel gets the recipe wrong. I spent nearly a whole day making it and when me and my partner tried it was just a step too far, no one should ever eat a beef jelly and potato lady fingers.
Q Have you surprised yourself with this experience?
ANURAG: Throughout filming, I’ve been naturally so happy that I just can’t stop smiling. There was some kind of positive energy I was able to draw from that atmosphere, which kept me going.
CHARIYA: I was surprised at how nice the whole team is. Everyone is so lovely and so supportive. They really want all of us to do well.
OMAR: I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be stood here in the final ready to cook for the trophy. I entered the show to challenge myself. I feel I’m leaving the competition a completely different person.
Are there any recipes the other contestants inspired you to make?
ANURAG: I took lot of inspiration from Omar, Chariya and Endang. I loved some of their absolutely mind-boggling techniques and the unusual ingredients they used in their recipes.
CHARIYA: I love Omar’s witch cauldron and I have asked him for a recipe so I can cook that at home for a Halloween party. It’s such a fun dish, people say “wow” when they see it.
OMAR: I’ve been working on my own spins on Chariya’s Khao Soi [from the Knockout Week challenge where contestants created a dish they would serve in their own restaurant].
Q Who was the most helpful, John or Gregg? What are they like?
ANURAG: Gregg really engages you so well which makes you feel very comfortable in pressurised situations. John is such a sweetheart. When he makes any comment while you are explaining your dish or cooking, just trust him and you will be thanking him later that he has saved you from making a big mistake.
CHARIYA: Honestly, both John and Gregg are strict but also really lovely people. Their knowledge about food is incredible and they always share that with you, which is amazing.
OMAR: You genuinely couldn’t ask for two more encouraging mentors to guide you through the show. I’ve learnt a lot from both of them and they are the perfect team.
Q Who is your favourite TV chef?
ANURAG: Rick Stein tops that list. His simplicity of cooking and urge to respect each ingredient, makes him my favourite. Watching his Indian tour on TV [Rick Stein’s India], where he was on a mission to discover the best Indian curry, really opened my eye about Indian cuisine itself.
CHARIYA: When thinking about Thai food I admire chef Ian Kittichai [The Iron Chef Thailand] for his focus and innovating Thai cuisine.
OMAR: I really admire Samin Nosrat, who wrote a book called Salt Fat Acid Heat, which was my bible when I got into cooking.
If you had to choose one meal, what would your final meal be?
ANURAG : My final meal would be the famous Indian street food called Gol Gappa, [crispy puffed fried semolina dough balls, filled with potatoes, black chickpeas, tamarind and mint water]. I absolutely love them.
CHARIYA: It will be Khantoke, which is a tradition of Northern Thailand. It refers to the low round table used to serve various authentic Northern dishes. My favourite dish is slow cooked Pork belly Hung Lei curry – super tender pork belly in a hot spicy curry sauce.
OMAR: My Mum’s chicken curry. Her version of a classic Pakistani curry, it puts a smile on my face no matter what.
Q What would be your ultimate cooking ambition?
ANURAG: In the long run, my dream is to launch a chain of Indian fine dining restaurants.
CHARIYA: My dream is to open a restaurant and eventually multiple restaurants – where I can showcase the food of my homeland and hopefully work towards earning a Michelin star.
OMAR: If I can use this platform to have a career in food, that would be the final piece of the puzzle for me.
