LONDON, Dec 18: Nepali chef Santosh Shah came in third place on the UK's most prestigious cookery show, Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One.
Santosh captivated both the judges and audience with his show-stopping Nepalese cuisine and inspiring journey.
"I always wanted to bring Nepalese cuisine to the world stage and now this show has given me the opportunity," Shah said.
In tonight's final episode, Santosh demonstrated his strong culinary skills and ingenuity with a stunning three course meal that represented both his Nepalese heritage and who he is as a chef.
To start, Santosh made a trio of Nepalese starters with white crab chapati and brown crab meat filling with spiced crispy chicken skin; pan-fried lamb brain on mini poppadum's with pickled kohlrabi and grapes; and a wild mushroom kebab tiki served on plantain topped with beetroot raita, cashew nut crumble and a crispy curry leaf.
For his main, he made a spiced buffalo short rib with sauteed morning glory, potato masala cannelloni, gooseberry chutney and a paratha bread filled with buffalo milk paneer and finished with a buffalo sauce, served with a Nepalese rice wine. For dessert, a cardamom and pistachio cake with a jaggery and lotus seed crisp crust served with a coconut ice cream.
Taking the judges on a culinary trip across Nepal, they felt that they had stepped into Santosh's world and had learned so much from him, saying that they feel "educated in a cuisine that they didn't know anything about until he walked through the door."
"My mission when I found out I was going to be on Masterchef was to show how delicious and vibrant Nepalese cuisine is with the world. Nepal is a beautiful country with a really rich culture and I am so happy that I have been able to share how unique Nepalese cuisine is.
I have been cooking Indian food for more than 20 years and for a moment, did consider cooking it in the final as it's what I know so well, but I wouldn't have stayed true to who I am and the direction I want to go in. I went with my heart and cooked the food I truly love. Cooking authentic Nepalese food and experimenting with dishes I grew up eating has been an absolute joy throughout my time on this show and I am so happy that the judges loved so many of them. Making it to the final three has been a dream come true and I could not be more honoured to say that I am a Masterchef finalist.
I am humbled by the outpouring of support I have received since the show started and am excited by how many people have reached out to me saying they would love to try my food one day. It has been an incredibly special experience and one that I will never forget. I am really thankful for the opportunity to have been on Masterchef and to cook for some of the best chefs in the UK whom I have admired for years. I am going to keep working hard, experimenting and learning and we'll see what 2021 brings!"
The title for the year 2020 was awarded to a 25-year British Chef Alex Webb and two other finalists, Santosh and a 33-year-old Dutch-chef, Bart van der Lee, who became the ‘Runner up’ for the title.