Top 24 home cooks were chosen from the auditions from the state of Tamil Nadu. From them, only 14 advanced home cooks were selected to participate in the main competition.[7]
Top 14
Source for all first names, hometowns, and occupations.[8]
Vijay Sethupathi opens the show explaining the concept of the MasterChef show concept. Later the three judges of the season were introduced Harish Rao, Aarthi Sampath and Koushik S who are professional chefs and judges. Later the top 24 contestants where selected from the state of Tamil Nadu and had to compete to get a spot in the top 14 to enter the main competition.
Apron Challenge 1 Winner: Aarthi, Krithika, Nausheen and Nithya were qualified into Master Chef Competition.
Jayanthi, Jayashri, Mukhil, Sakthivel, Senguttuvan, & Vishwa were eliminated
After a small recap, the audition competition continued to select its top 14 out of the 24.
Apron Challenge 1 Winner: Devaki, Kruthaj, Mariam, Sasi, Shashi, Sumithra, Tara, Vinny were qualified into Master Chef Competition.
Apron Challenge 2: Apoorv, Ashwini, Manikandan, Revathi, Savetha and Sunitha had to cut the ingredients and to place it on the ingredient board. Sunitha won the challenge and Manikandan was the last contestant to qualify into Master Chef Competition.
Apoorv, Ashwini, Revathi, & Savetha were failed to qualify into Master Chef Competition.
Mystery Box Challenge: For the first time in MasterChef Tamil history the mystery box was unveiled. The judges gave a selected amount of ingredients for the contestants to turn them into a full coarse meal.
Challenge winner: Devaki Vijayaraman and Sunitha Selva
Elimination Challenge: The top three bottom performed cooks had to participate in the elimination pressure test. The dish the contestants had to cook was the signature dish of judge Koushik S. The cooks had to make the dessertKozhukkatta which is the signature dish of Koushik S.
Team Blue: Mariam Shajia, Nithya Franklyn and Sumitra Rajesh (Won)
Team Yellow: Sasi Gnanadurai, Nausheen Yusuf and Vinny Shukla (Qualified)
Team Red: Krithika Sivanesan, Kruthaj Ashok Kumar and Tara Rhine (Lost)
Elimination Challenge: After a team challenge, Krithika Sivanesan, Kruthaj Ashok Kumar and Tara Rhine (Team Red) received the lowest and had to compete in the elimination pressure test. The three cooks had to re create chefs Harish Rao's dish called Thikadi which uses Mutton as the meat of the dish.
Bottom Three: Krithika Sivanesan, Kruthaj Ashok Kumar and Tara Rhine
Team Duo Challenge: The contestants are split up into 3 team. The team members are split up into 6 pairs. The contestants need to cook their dish using food waste such as Banana skin etc and make either an Entrée, Main course or Dessert
Elimination Challenge: The bottom three people had to participate in an ingredient guessing challenge and face elimination pressure test of they get the ingredient wrong, and has to cook a dish of their own using the same ingredient they got wrong.
Bottom Three: Sumitra Rajesh, Sunitha Selva and Sasi Gnanadurai
Wildcard Challenge: The previously eliminated contestants received a second chance to win their spot back in the kitchen. However only one of the contestants will be selected back into the game.
Eliminated: Sasi Gnanadurai and Shashi Anand Sridharan
All home cooks are free from elimination and competition since its the great festival Vinayaka Chaturti, but home cooks need to create a special dish which is equivalent to the festive mood but won't be judged for their dish.
Special Host: Shali Nivekas
12
"Episode 12, Season 1"
11 September 2021 (2021-09-11)
JW Marriott Hotels Challenge: Home cooks were divided into two teams for this challenge, each team had to cook an Entree, Main course and dessert for customers at the hotel.
Eventually the blue team had the highest score and was saved from participating in the elimination challenge.
13
"Episode 13, Season 1"
12 September 2021 (2021-09-12)
Ingredient Guessing Challenge: After a team challenge, Krithika Sivanesan, Mariam Shajia Shah, Nausheen Yusuf, Nithya Franklyn, Sunitha Selva and Tara Rhine (Team Red) received the lowest and had to compete in the Ingredient Guessing Challenge. The six cooks had to identify the ingredient used in chefs Harish Rao's dish.
Winner: Krithika Sivanesan, Nithya Franklyn and Sunitha Selva.
Elimination Challenge: The top three bottom performed cooks had to participate in the elimination pressure test. The three cooks had to re create chefs Harish Rao's dish called Ragasiya Marmam which uses Vada as the meat of the dish.
Eliminated: Mariam Shajia Shah and Tara Rhine
14
"Episode 14, Season 1"
18 September 2021 (2021-09-18)
Ethirum Puthirum Challenge: Each home cooks need to cook a two mystery items.
Elimination Challenge: Aarthi Satheesh, Devaki Vijayaraman, Manikandan K, Nausheen Yusuf, Sunitha Selva and Vinny Shukla had to cook a dish with all Arusuvai (Six Tastes) Ingredients chosen by other contestants, who answer the judges riddle correctly.
Eliminated: Aarthi Satheesh
16
"Episode 16, Season 1"
25 September 2021 (2021-09-25)
Team Relay Challenge: The contestant are divided into 3 teams with 3 members each. Duration of the challenge is 60 minutes and divided into 3 halves. The contestants have to choose one ingredient each (i.e, herbs, chocolates and fruits).
Team Red
Contestants: Krithika Sivanesan, Kruthaj Ashok Kumar and Vinny Shukla.
Team Red Captain: Krithika Sivanesan
Team Blue
Contestants: Manikandan K, Nithya Franklyn and Sumitra Rajesh
Team Blue Captain: Manikandan K
Team Green
Contestants: Devaki Vijayaraman, Nausheen Yusuf and Sunitha Selva
Team Green Captain: Devaki Vijayaraman
Winner: Team Blue won the challenge.
17
"Episode 17, Season 1"
26 September 2021 (2021-09-26)
Diary Challenge: The contestants had to convert milk into butter and add flavor to them. Krithika Sivanesan, Nausheen Yusuf and Devaki Vijayaraman won the challenge.
Elimination Challenge: Vinny Shukla, Kruthaj Ashok Kumar and Sunitha Selva had to choose one ingredient (pineapple, jaggery and curd) along with (pineapple rasam, jaggery water and buttermilk).
The black apron contestants need to re create the signature dish of chef Aarthi Sampath called Kasthuri Thangam.
Eliminated: Sunitha Selva
22
"Episode 22, Season 1"
16 October 2021 (2021-10-16)
Pair Challenge : The top 6 contestants are fixed in a pair challenge
Team Purple:
Manikandan K and Sumitra
Team Red:
Vinny Shukla and Nithya Franklyn
Team Blue:
Devaki Vijayaraman and Krithika Sivanesan
As Vinny and Nithya won the challenge, they advanced to the Masterchef balcony, with the remaining 4 contestants competing in the black apron challenge.
23
"Episode 23, Season 1"
17 October 2021 (2021-10-17)
The chefs announced that this was the final black apron challenge to be conducted in this season of Masterchef, indicating that the contestants who pass the challenge advance to the final stage of Masterchef season 1. The black apron contestants are supposed to re-create a traditional Indian sweet in a modern look and appearance, without utilising an oven or a freezer
Eliminated: Sumitra Rajesh
24
"Episode 24, Season 1"
23 October 2021 (2021-10-23)
The top 5 home cooks need to do a dish which is close to their hearts. The three best home cooks will perform in the level 2 challenge while the remaining two cooks will compete in the elimination challenge. the best cook who cooks the best dish in level 2 will become the first finalist of season.
25
"Episode 25, Season 1"
24 October 2021 (2021-10-24)
Ticket to finale Challenge: The cooks had to make a dish using seafood in order to win the ticket to finale. The cook with the best dish wins a spot in the finale.
Finalist: Krithika Sivanesan
26
"Semi Finale round (Part 1)"
6 November 2021 (2021-11-06)
Semi Finale challenge The remaining 4 cooks beside Krithika, needs to compete in the challenge only were 2 of them will be selected as finalist and advance to the finale.
Finalist: Nithya Franklyn
Finalist: Devaki Vijayaraman
27
"Semi Finale round (part 2)"
7 November 2021 (2021-11-07)
Semi Finale challenge (part 2) Vinny Shukla and Manikandan K, had to give a cooking face off with only 1 of them given the chance to go to the finale and become a finalist, while the remaining cook will be eliminated from the show.
Finalist: Vinny Shukla
Eliminated: Manikandan K
28
"Bonus episode"
13 November 2021 (2021-11-13)
Host Vijay Sethupathi, Talks about the journey that every contestant had in Masterchef Tamil season 1.
29–30
"Grand Finale"
14 November 2021 (2021-11-14)
The grand finale had two main rounds, the first round being where all the home cooks need to cook a main course meal using the key ingredient duck. The second round featured a dessert round where the cooks can make a dessert of their choice. At the end of the rounds, the marks given by the judges were counted and Vinny Shukla and Krithika Sivanesan were eliminated leaving the remaining two home cooks Nithya Franklyn and Devaki Vijayaraman in the top 2. Devaki Vijayaraman won the season while Nithya Franklyn emerged as the runner up.