MasterChef India 2023 finalist Suvarna Bagul: I want the world to taste Maharashtrian food beyond vada pav, puranpoli

Suvarna Bagul, the second runner-up of MasterChef India 2023 and Season 7, is living her dream and intends to revolutionize Maharashtrian cuisine globally. Despite her transformational journey since the final in March, where she got the third position alongside winner Nayanjyoti Saikia and first runner-up Santa Sarmah, Bagul still finds it hard to fathom how her life has changed in the last year. From being a regular homemaker to competing on MasterChef India, her journey has been nothing short of remarkable.

Bagul says, "The connection that I have with food and Maharashtrian cuisine is special. Maharashtrian food is loved by all but many Mumbaikars who are not exposed to its diversity believe it is often limited to a few dishes, that are commonly known." Bagul wants to change this notion.

Even after all these months since the final in March, the Bagul finds it hard to believe how her life has changed in the last one year - from being selected for the MasterChef India show to becoming the finalist, subsequently featuring in the top 3. "We only hear about such things in movies or just hear that dreams come true but for me, it has happened in real. I still can't believe that I am a normal housewife who entered the MasterChef kitchen and became the second runner-up. I still can't believe it."

Bagul's culinary prowess was on display at her first pop-up event in Mumbai for a Sunday brunch at Fifty-Five East at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai in Santacruz in July. Since the show aired in January, Bagul's popularity has skyrocketed. Her pop-up event drew enthusiastic attendees, many of whom even took selfies with her, highlighting her newfound celebrity status.

"I realise how my life has changed when a lot of guests come and speak to me. Some of the people who I have met have come from Gujarat to taste my food. I feel blessed and it is such blessings that have brought me so far today. That itself is an award for me. If I had remained inside my home, I wouldn't be able to experience it."

Celebrating Maharashtrian cuisine
Bagul's connection with food, especially Maharashtrian cuisine, is deeply rooted. She is determined to debunk the misconception that Maharashtrian food is limited to a few well-known dishes such as vada pav and puranpoli. She believes there's much more to explore and showcase the diverse flavors of her beloved cuisine.

She expressed her vision, saying, "The connection that I have with food and Maharashtrian cuisine is special, and you just have to wait and watch to see how I take Maharashtrian food to food counters around the world because this is only just the start.

Bagul says it is very difficult to find Maharashtrian food counters regularly, and even if there are any, it will just be one or two dishes. "So my idea was to help people in India and around the world, to explore Maharashtrian cuisine so that they say, ‘Oh wow, sirf Vada Pav nahi khate hai, sirf Puranpoli nahi khate hai'."

The menu on the day had a mix of lesser-known Maharashtrian vegetarian dishes. These included delicious curry made of guava and some favourites like Masale Bhaat. Besides other non-vegetarian dishes and desserts. They left many curious and others extremely happy to spot dishes that are not celebrated enough. That is simply the MasterChef finalist's anthem. "The connection that I have with food and Maharashtrian cuisine is special, and you just have to wait and watch to see how I take Maharashtrian food to food counters around the world because this is only just the start."

Bagul reminds that there are so many dishes that are made in Maharashtrian cuisine and most of them are made according to the season and are good for our health. "I want to present these very dishes with a modern touch in every opportunity that I get," she adds, drawing inspiration from her learnings in the MasterChef kitchen.

Changing people's perceptions one dish at a time
With a commitment to changing perceptions, Bagul highlighted how Maharashtrian food can be inclusive of various dietary preferences, even in the era of veganism. She believes that traditional dishes like Thalipeeth can be reimagined to cater to modern dietary choices. She emphasized that Maharashtrian cuisine is not just about spice but also boasts a wide range of flavors using diverse ingredients like multi-grains and steamed foods.

"Today, vegan food is becoming very popular, people are dieting, not eating rotis anymore and reducing their carbohydrate intake. Keeping that in mind, if I had to recreate or reimagine one Maharashtrian dish today, it would be Thalipeeth. I would make a healthy version for people along with koshimbir because it fills the stomach and healthy."

This, she says, is to simply remind people who wonder, what vegan food they can eat, without realising that most of it is made in Indian homes. "It is not like you have to eat other cuisines for vegan food. There are Maharashtrian dishes also that are vegan. People need to realise that Maharashtrian food is not spicy but is definitely tasty. There is so much to explore with multi-grains, steamed and other kinds of food," she adds.

Bagul's journey began long before her appearance on MasterChef India. She shared that during her days as a homemaker, she was more interested in food shows than in typical soap operas. Her curiosity to understand different cultures through their cuisines led her to watch various national and international food shows. This love for diverse culinary experiences helped her excel at MasterChef India.

As more home chefs gain prominence in India, Bagul believes it's due to their multifaceted roles within a household. She expressed, "Home chefs have a lot of experience because they are mothers, wives, and daughters-in-law all in one." Their diverse experiences make them well-rounded chefs capable of understanding and catering to varied tastes and preferences. "If a child wants something, they make it for them, if the husband wants something they make it for them, if the mother-in-law wants something, they make it for them. While they are in the four walls of their homes, even they have dreams, but they put them aside to cater to the house, so the increasing focus on them is quite helpful."

Her journey on MasterChef India exposed her to various regional cuisines from around India, fostering cross-cultural culinary learning among the contestants. This exchange of knowledge enriched her perspective on food and its regional diversity.

For example, Saikia and Sarmah are from Assam. She also got a chance to meet people from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka. She shares, "When I was in the MasterChef kitchen, the contestants were from all over India. So, while I knew about Chinese, Italian and Maharashtrian cuisines, I learned so much about Assamese and Bengali food. I learned about Sindhi food."

Bagul points out how the food eaten in restaurants is quite different compared to the food made by home chefs, who have been selected from all over India, and that is what made it even more special. "I didn't know so much about Assamese food and that shows how even though we stay in India, we don't know so much about other states."

Bagul's culinary journey is just beginning, and she aspires to introduce the world to the true essence of Maharashtrian cuisine beyond clichés. Her mission is to embrace traditional dishes while adapting them to contemporary preferences, making her cuisine accessible and cherished across the globe.