MUMBAI: AXN kicks off the third season of ?Top Chef Masters? tonight. The season starts with the award winning chefs competing against each other in weekly challenges with Floyd Cardoz adding the Indian tadka to the top chef kitchen.

Also unlike previous seasons, the new season has a tangy twist to it. The chefs will not be judged on a five-star rating system, elimination-style challenges similar to the format of the original ?Top Chef? series.

The masters are still playing for charity but, by design, they?ll feel more of the intensity felt by those who compete on the flagship series. 12 chefs compete against each other to see how well they fare in fierce culinary competition. Each week will whittle down the chefs until the finale where one winner is crowned Top Chef Master and receive the prize of $100,000 for the charity of their choice. The judges include Saveur editor-in chief James Oseland, Aussie chef Curtis Stone and food critic and author Ruth Reichl.

With so much money at stake, the chefs are bringing more than their knives to the table; they?re bringing their egos and stirring up the drama. Surprise performances have always added a flavour to the show. This season is no different with Mad Men?s Christina Hendricks, rock group Maroon 5, and ?pop sensation? Kelis. Chef Floyd Cardoz will be making Uppma in the finale.