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Taj Chohan vies for MasterChef Canada title Chohan's audition dish melds Canadian and Indian palates by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene 23 | Friday, January 30, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" T aj Chohan said he didn't feel any added pressure to make it a repeat win for Oakville as he vied for the MasterChef Canada title in the show's second season. Oakville's Eric Chong won the cooking competition during the inaugural season of the series last year, which averaged 1.8 million viewers in Canada. "I wouldn't say it was really something on my mind," said Chohan, who is among the 49 finalists for MasterChef Canada's second season. "It's definitely tough enough competition as it is. The people that make it to Top 49 make it there because they're passionate; they have skill and something to bring to the table. "Everyone who makes it to that point, comes to win. So, you have to give it your all. You have to be in the mindset that you're going to take the top prize. Everything you do has to be with the intent that you're going to win." Chohan, who has been a local resident for 23 years, recently moved to Vancouver in November 2014. Since MasterChef Canada's second season was filmed in September and October last year, he will still be tagged as from Oakville for the show, which sees competitors from across Canada vying for the MasterChef title and a $100,000 cash prize. In each episode of the CTV series, participants compete in individual and team-based cooking challenges for judges Michael Bonacini, Alvin Leung and Claudio Aprile. One or more home cooks are eliminated from the competition each week. The first two episodes are the audition process to find out which Top 16 finalists earn their white aprons and the chance to eventually head to the finale. Chohan had actually applied for the first season of MasterChef Canada, but was contacted by producers last summer for a chance to audition for the show's second season. "I honestly couldn't believe it... it wasn't something I was expecting," he said. During the open auditions in Toronto, Chohan was tasked to cook a signature dish for the judges and have it tasted. He also met with some of the producers to tell them why he wanted to be on the show and what inspires him to cook. "I wasn't nervous because I knew I had a spectacular dish," said Chohan of his Moroc- can lamb curry stew, which was served with lemon couscous and butternut squash inside the carved out squash as the bowl. "Generally, I'm pretty good as far as nerves go. It was definitely something I had prepared quite a bit for. Something like this, you want to make sure you've mastered your dish and what you want to portray to the judges." It was enough to impress the judges to make him one of the 49 finalists. The 28-year-old accountant said he was definitely expecting the competition to be a challenging one. "I've watched previous seasons of the show, in Canada, the U.S. and Australia, so I had a good understanding of what was required and what it took to progress," he said. I remember getting fed up with the food my family was eating every day. We're a traditional Indian family and you have certain things picked out for you: what you're supposed to do with your life, what you're supposed to eat... I remember biking down to the local grocery store one day and getting ingredients and trying to wing it... (Cooking) is really something I found I could rebel with and be unique.... MasterChef Canada season 2 finalist Taj Chohan Cooking has been a passion for Chohan since he was a child, he said. "I remember getting fed up with the food my family was eating every day. We're a traditional Indian family and you have certain things picked out for you: what you're supposed to do with your life, what you're supposed to eat... I remember biking down to the local grocery store one day and getting ingredients and trying to wing it," he said. "That was when I would say I realized that I really love cooking. There's a vast amount of ingredients and styles of cooking and methods of making the food, and there's just an unlimited number of combinations to experiment with. "So, it's really something I found I could rebel with and be unique, an individual, and think outside the box." Chohan said he regularly gets out of his comfort zone by trying to find and create meals he hasn't cooked before. "I draw a lot of inspiration from the things I see and haven't seen before... I just try and pull inspiration from anywhere I can," he said. That's how he was able to come up with his signature curry lamb poutine dish for the Oakville's Taj Chohan prepares his signature dish for the MasterChef Canada judges in hopes of moving on in the competition. The second season of the CTV series premieres Sunday (Feb. 1) after Super Bowl XLIX. | photo courtesy CTV audition episodes. "I wanted to meld together my experiences of living in Canada and my roots in Indian heritage," said Chohan. "I took a recipe from my grandmother for lamb curry and turned it into a pulled lamb, served over poutine." Chohan says the MasterChef Canada experience has truly inspired and pushed him to follow his culinary dreams, noting he would love to have a chef-Anthony-Bourdain type of show that incorporates travel, culture and food. "MasterChef has really provided a platform for me to pursue my dreams," he added. MasterChef Canada season two premieres Sunday (Feb. 1) after Super Bowl XLIX on CTV at approximately 10 p.m., eastern standard time. The series will also be streamed on demand on CTV GO, with encore showings Fridays at 9 p.m. on M3, Saturdays at 7 p.m. on CTV Two and Sundays at 5 p.m. on CTV .