The fourth season of India's most heartwarming home chef competition, the Slurrp Great Indian Cookout, has successfully concluded after a spectacular tour across four major cities. The event, which ran throughout November 2025, transformed the vibrant energy of street food into sophisticated gourmet art under the theme 'Gully to Gourmet'.
Presented by USHA and co-presented by Aashirvaad, with Associate Partner Foodies Only and Streaming Partner OTTplay, the competition saw an overwhelming response with a staggering 9,000 online entries. From this vast pool of talent, only three exceptional home chefs were selected to compete in the live finals held in each city.
From Gully to Gourmet: A Nationwide Culinary Journey
The competition kicked off in Mumbai on 1st November at Bunts Sangha's Ramanath Payyade College in Kurla. The journey then moved to Kolkata on 8th November at The Villa at Mandeville in Ballygunge, followed by Bengaluru on 16th November at the Phoenix Mall of Asia. The grand finale was held in Delhi on 22nd November at the Radisson Hotel on MG Road.
Judge-in-chief Neha Deepak Shah presided over the challenges in all four locations, joined by a rotating panel of top culinary experts. The home chefs faced unique challenges that tested their ability to elevate beloved street food flavours using advanced culinary techniques.
"What an incredible experience being the Judge-in-Chief at The Great Indian Cookout 2025!" exclaimed Chef Neha. "From the sizzling creativity to the sheer passion each participant brought to their dish, it was pure joy to witness India’s diverse flavours come alive. Every plate told a story of home, of heritage, of heart."
Celebrating the Champions of Indian Home Cooking
Each city produced a champion whose dish perfectly encapsulated the 'Gully to Gourmet' spirit.
In Mumbai, Shobha Halkati won with her innovative Beetroot Tart featuring a Rasmalai Filling and Guava Gel. Her creation was inspired by Chef Neha's Chai-infused chocolate tart, brilliantly reimagining the classic Indian sweet.
Kolkata's title was claimed by Mithu Saha, who impressed the judges with her Sweet Potato Papdi Chaat and Soya Thecha. She used ingredients from Chef Neha's workshop on soya and mushroom galouti kebabs to create a healthier version of Kolkata's famous alukabli.
The Bengaluru leg saw Himanshi Bhardwaj emerge victorious with her Rava Tortilla with Mushroom Chhole. Remarkably, this was her first time ever cooking with mushrooms, drawing inspiration from Chef Neha’s Rava Mushroom Pongal Risotto.
The final champion in Delhi was Neha Gupta, who presented a creative twist on the city's favourite momos. She served them in a kadhi-inspired sauce made with besan, a concept inspired by Chef Neha's kadhi chawal khowsuey.
More Than a Competition: A Culinary Movement
Beyond the intense competition, the event series served as a vibrant platform for culinary dreams. Each city featured interactive demonstrations of innovative USHA products, highlighting the brand's commitment to blending technology with tradition.
Sriram Sundaresan, President - Appliances of USHA, emphasized this dedication to supporting modern Indian cooking. Anuj Rustagi, BU Chief Executive Staples, Foods Division, ITC Ltd., expressed pride in providing home chefs with quality ingredients to fuel their creativity.
Associate partner Foodies Only lived up to its community-focused motto, engaging attendees with fun games and challenges. Many participants left with commemorative embossed wooden spice boxes, a tangible memory of the event.
As Avinash Mudaliar, Co-Founder and CEO of HT Labs, reflected, "GIC is more than a contest; it's a celebration of India's home-chef revolution." The journeys of the four champions—Shobha, Mithu, Himanshi, and Neha—from thousands of anonymous entries to city winners proves that the future of Indian cuisine is being crafted in home kitchens across the nation. Their inspiring stories will soon be available for streaming on OTTplay.
