Among India’s one of the most-watched and loved global TV shows, MasterChef Australia, obviously, tops the list. The global culinary show has set a high-watermark for reality television in India with its appetizing and scrumptious delicacies. One reason for its popularity is, of course, the diversity it upholds. MasterChef Australia stands out from other culinary shows in its diverse array of participants and cuisines.
Read More: Indian-Origin Justin Narayan Bags MasterChef Australia 13 Title
2021 has definitely been a year of pride for the Indian audience of MasterChef Australia as the Indian-origin contestant Justin Narayan bagged the title of MasterChef Australia Season 13. The exciting part is that most of all seasons of MasterChef Australia have witnessed the best Indian delicacies cooked by incredibly talented contestants, and a majority of them introduced their heritage through the Indian culinary offerings. The show has been a turning point for many Indian-origin contestants.
Here is the list of some talented Indian-origin Australian citizens who moved to the country to pursue their careers while nurturing their passion for food and cooking.
Justin Narayan
To begin with, the title winner of the latest season of MasterChef Australia, Justin Narayan from Perth, has already won the hearts of Indians. The Indian-Fijian roots of the 28-year-old had influenced his cooking style and techniques. He became popular through his trademark dishes like Chicken Tacos, Charcoal Chicken and Indian Chicken Curry. It has been reported that Narayan plans to cook and work for the Mumbai-based NGO Vision Rescue, which he came across during his visit to India in 2017.
Read More: MasterChef Australia13: NRI Contestant’s Butter Chicken Melts Everyone’s Hearts
Depinder Chibber
The Indian-origin chef, Depinder Chibber, has set her mark on the global culinary show in its thirteenth season. Chibber born in New Delhi moved to Newcastle at a very early age of 11. With her Indian tradition and heritage, the 29-year-old mesmerized the judges by bringing forth platters that uphold Indian tastes. The unique Green Curry Cake that she served with a side of White Chocolate Chilli Ganache, Coconut Ice Cream and Coconut Crumb took the heart of the judges. A pharmacist by profession, Chibber, came into the global platform for her passion and love for cooking.
Sandeep Pandit
The season 11 Indian-origin contestant Sandeep Pandit made it to the top ten contestants of the season. Pandit, born in Kashmir, lived in India until he relocated to Australia in 2016 to boost his career prospects in the IT sector. He awed the judges with his culinary skills that mostly offered diverse Indian tastes and is titled the best Indian cook in season 11 by Matt Preston. His Lobster Masala is one of his defining dishes in his MasterChef journey. He owns one of the best culinary websites ‘The Spice Angel’, here is the link.
Sashi Cheliah
This 42-year-old man, who was a prison guard in Adelaide, won the MasterChef Australia 2018 title and became the first Indian-origin contestant to bag the title. With his Indian roots belonging to Madurai in Tamil Nadu, Sashi showcased a mix of Indian, Malay and Chinese cooking styles throughout his MasterChef journey. His South Indian fish curry he cooked in the season made it to the top at the end of every food challenge.
Deepali Behar
Season 6 of the MasterChef Australia had Deepali Behar with her Gujarati roots as the Indian-origin contestant. Behar, who pursues her profession in dentistry, mesmerized the judges with her potato curry. She wished to open a restaurant that served the traditional Gujarati dishes and make the world know more about the Indian food culture.
Rishi Desai
One of the most celebrated and popular contestants of MasterChef Australia Season 5, Rishi Desai, was one of the semi-finalists of the show. Rishi hails from a traditional Indian family in Kolhapur, which has always inspired his cooking. He impressed the judges with his skillful cooking approach of combining seafood with Indian spices. He wrote the book Modern Indian in 2014.
Neha Sen
The 2013 contestant, Neha Sen, impressed the judges with her ice-creams and chutneys. She recreated most of the age-old recipes passed onto her by her mother and grandmother on the show. Sen, who hails from India, relocated to Australia as an international student. Her fusion of Indian spices with cuisines from different parts of the world had made her successful.
Dalwinder Dhami
Dalwinder Dhami is the first-ever Indian selected to be a part of the biggest food reality show. In the fourth season of the MasterChef Australia, the audience witnessed the Indian-origin Oz cooking for world-class chefs. Her amazing blend of spicy Singaporean cuisine with North Indian “tadkas” made her popular in the show. She had some of the best moments ever in the kitchen when one of the judges, George Calombaris, remarked her curry as the best one he had ever tasted. Dhami made Indians proud through her recreation of Indian cuisines on the global platform for the first time.
Nidhi Mahajan
Nidhi Mahajan was the Indian face who showed up on the eighth season of MasterChef Australia after the absence of one in the seventh season. Nidhi, whose roots extend to Chandigarh, took the world-renowned chef, Marco Pierre White, by surprise through her exceptional culinary skills. Her special South Indian style Lamb Curry and Stuffed Onion Bread stood out of all other dishes in the challenge.
With the increasing number of Indian-origin contestants, MasterChef Australia has also witnessed the Indian renowned chefs as guest judges. The Mumbai-based chef Saransh Gosh and one of India’s best chefs, Vikas Khanna have been on the show. So, Indian representation on the global culinary show has risen to a great extent.
