The Australian model-turned chef who took Indian staples such as aloo gobi and bhel and made them shine on the Masterchef Australia sets, is also the author of a recipe book titled My Indian Kitchen. We get her to share her journey into regional Indian flavours and find out what’s cooking…
Chef, author, TV star, business diva… the 34-year-old single mom to her son Phoenix wears many hats. Her Masterchef Australia connection (runner up in 2014’s S6 and in the more recent Fans & Faves in 2022) has made her a household name in India. Her first restaurants after appearing on the show were in India (the popular Antares in Little Vagator, Goa, and The Wine Rack in Lower Parel, Mumbai, which closed down after a good run).
Since then, she’s authored a recipe book, done several shows, and travelled the length and breadth of the country, meeting home chefs, trying out authentic flavours, discovering new favourite dishes at every destination.
Having tasted her food, most recently at the luncheon hosted by Visit Victoria to announce the Men’s T20 World Cup coming up in Melbourne in October this year, I feel that she captures the nostalgia of an Australian childhood, zings it up with Indian flavours, and finesses it with very western classic culinary techniques.
I catch her as she preps for her wine-paired dinner tonight, where she will be serving up a newer, more evolved version of her culinary style. The willowy Sarah Todd is a balanced mix of excited and nervous, as she waits to see how Mumbai reacts.
Tell us about how your fascination with Indian food was born and how did you develop on it down the years?
It really started when my son was born and he’s half-Indian. As we live in Australia, I really wanted to make sure that if he was taking something like a paratha to school lunch, that he felt proud of that and not embarrassed in any way. People don’t really know so much about Indian cuisine especially the more homestyle dishes. I felt like it was a bit of a responsibility to make sure that everyone was talking about Indian cuisine and understanding it.
Australia is a bit of a melting pot and there’s a lot of different cultures and cuisines that are coming together. And in return, after taking on that responsibility, I just really fell in love with Indian cuisine, so it’s just become a part of my identity now. For me the flavors real diversity and cuisine across the different states in India and so yeah, I really just really fell in love with it. We have our authentic Australian cuisine, but it just doesn’t have the diversity of Indian food. It’s just been so exciting getting to explore all of these different flavours!
You had done a show about Assamese cuisine which really went down well. What made you choose that state to showcase?
I love Assam and I definitely love going deep into these different regions. I’m actually filming another TV show in Assam, which is taking the cuisine to another level. I’m really getting to explore the different regions even more and get deeper into Assamese cuisine. That should be out before the end of the year.
After Assam, is there another region of India which you have always been curious about, but still haven’t had a chance to explore?
You know, I still haven’t been to Punjab would you believe? I’m a little bit embarrassed but that’s definitely a region I’d like to delve into. There’s a lot of regions I’ve been to and like.
Goa, of course, is a place that I love and have spent a lot of time in and travelled around exploring different foods there. I’m doing another event coming up in Rajasthan which I’m excited about, using a lot of the local produce. Then there’s Nagaland, and cities like Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Chennai… I’ve been to a lot of places, and I think everywhere that I go in India, I find my favourite dishes. The list just keeps getting longer the more I travel!
Have you found home cooks being very welcoming to you? Have you had the chance to meet a lot of them on all your travels?
Yeah, for me, it’s more about the home cooks rather than going out to restaurants. Whenever I get to a different city, I’m like ‘okay, can your auntie or your mum or someone cook for me?’ These experiences are the most rewarding and inspiring as well.
Which is your favourite Indian condiment, spice, or even a spice mix?
I love gunpowder. I feel like that it is a really interesting blend. And the fact that it’s made using lentils is just a really interesting concept that I hadn’t really realised that you could do. Getting to try these different blends and see how they are made definitely has taught me a lot about different techniques that I can add into the way that I cook as well.
Do you remember the first time you tried gunpowder or something similar that was really surprising to you?
Yes, when I had vada-pao in Mumbai for the first time and I really notice those flavours of the dry garlic and coconut chutney that goes with it.
When you’re planning a dish, how do you actually go about it? Is it instinctive or very structured? Tell us about the process…
Honestly, it can be very random. Like it could be while I’m flying back from a trip, sitting on the plane, and it sparks an idea to experiment with a dish. But also, I think for me it is important to make sure that there is some sort of connection to the food — whether it’s a travel experience that I’ve had or nostalgia — because, at the end of the day, we can all cook steak and chips or something but it’s when you add in that experience which kind of brings the dish to life.
I know it’s sounds cheesy when people say you’re putting love into a dish, but it is really important to add a piece of you into it. When I first brought the menu into my restaurant, it took time for me to work out that you really do need to add in that connection to the dish, which brings depth to the menu.
What did you learn about the Indian diner or palate after your two restaurants in India, Antares in Goa and The Wine Rack?
More than anything, it helped me to grow as a chef. You know, I opened these restaurants in India straight out of Masterchef Australia in 2014. My journey and growth really happened in India. It wasn’t until I went back to Australia and did a dinner for the Australian Open, which was the first big event that I did there, and I had people almost moved to tears after trying my food that I realised how much I had learned from being in India. Adding these beautiful flavours into my style of cooking — I saw the impact of that when I cooked back in Australia.
I had people saying ‘we didn’t know what to expect coming into your dinner and what we would experience’ but they were just in love with the food and the flavours, so I feel really blessed that I’ve had all of these experiences in India. It’s really helped shape me as a chef.
What about your third restaurant in India or a TV show around it like the ones you’ve done with the other two (My Restaurant in India and My Second Restaurant in India)?
Right now, I’m planning where I want to open my next restaurant. I feel like my cooking style has really evolved a lot since I first opened my restaurant in India, so I’m just thinking which will be the best spot to open. I feel really excited about my next adventure because I do feel like I have changed and grown quite a lot.
I feel like I have finally landed on my personal cooking style, so I feel excited for the next kind of venture and yeah, I’m actually looking forward to this dinner tomorrow night because it’s the first time I’ll be showcasing these different styles and visions that I’ve come to love cooking. I’m excited as well nervous to see the reaction of the diners.
Can you tell us more about this change? What is Sarah Todd 2.0 like?
Before, I always felt like I wasn’t completely sure of my personal cooking style. Definitely from the first day of opening the restaurant, it has gone through a big evolution. I feel happy and content in my personal style and the way that I like to conceptualise dishes. I am more confident in my cooking.
How would you describe your cooking style?
I studied at Le Cordon Bleu, so those French techniques are the base of my cooking style and then, obviously, India is like a second home. I’ve travelled around very much so the flavours of India are what I like to incorporate into my cooking style. I would describe it as French techniques with the flavours of India.
What about ingredient-forward, sustainable cooking that has become so aspirational these days. Does that resonate with you?
Yeah, absolutely. What I would do here in Mumbai to what I would do in Australia would be very different because of the produce and I feel it’s really important to make sure that you’re creating a stainable menu and utilising the ingredients that are around you.
I wouldn’t put, for example, Barramundi on a menu here. I think that we are going through an evolution in terms of cooking trends at the moment. I think that gastronomy side of dishes is very outdated, and people aren’t cooking that way anymore. At the top 50 restaurants around the world, it is a lot cleaner, highlighting the produce rather than making too many complex elements.
Since you’re serving a wine-paired dinner, what are your thoughts on pairing wine with Indian cuisine and flavours?
It’s actually something that I have been doing for a while because you know I opened up The Wine Rack many years ago. For me, it’s kind of like adding another flavour to the dish with the wine. So, when you’re thinking about pairing, you want to have the flavours in the wine enhance the dish. That’s something that I love doing and have definitely done with Indian flavours for many years now.
Tell us what you have planned for the wine-paired dinner you’re creating for Mumbai diners at Celini at the Grand Hyatt tonight.
I’m going to be playing around with Indian flavours and kind of putting my spin on them. We’re starting off with lighter Indian flavoured dishes and building up to bolder flavours. Our first course in the menu is called ‘Aloo gobi takes a trip to France’. So, basically you know how aloo gobi tastes but I’m using some French techniques (she’s recreating the creamy mashed potato aligot that she did on the recent Masterchef Australia, with butter-poached cauliflower, a cumin-potato foam, and truffle!) and pairing it with a beautiful white wine that is really going to enhance the flavours.
Like that, we go all the way to my version of saagwala. This is also something I did in Masterchef Australia, which the judges absolutely loved. We’ll be pairing that with a bolder red wine.
How did you and wine expert Nikhil Agarwal of All Things Nice work out the perfect pairings?
It’s been a collaborative effort. He has that background as a wine connoisseur, so he really added in a lot of tips to bring it together. I do love wine and it’s something that I have a bit of knowledge of, but I definitely needed Nikhil’s advice, as that’s his specialty.
Is there a particular pairing that you envisage will wow diners tonight? A showstopper?
I definitely think that the third course is going to be a really exciting one. This is quite an interesting pairing as we’ve got the bold flavours from Goan sausage, which is spicy, with a pretty full-bodied South African Syrah. I feel like there’s some really great wines that we’re showcasing.
What’s next on the anvil for Sarah Todd?
I’m currently in Mumbai and I fly to Assam on Saturday, where I will shoot for the upcoming series.
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