Indian-origin Sandeep Pandit, one of the 24 finalists at MasterChef Australia season 11 popularly known as ‘The Spice Angel’ talks in an Indus Age exclusive interview.

By  Shashi Narasimhiah

Sandeep, tell us more about circumstances that led you to be selected for MasterChef Australia. How did it come about? Also tell us more about the situation when you realized that “food really breaks boundaries”.

My food journey began back in the 1990s, when I and my family were forced to migrate away from Kashmir. Cooking was a way to help my mother and an escape from the troubled times. I became a fan of MasterChef Australia in Bangalore and MasterChef Australia actually opened my eyes to food culture in Australia. I remember watching Nidhi’s (Mahajan) audition and the joy that the judges had as they enjoyed her Choley and Poori. When I came to Australia, I always harboured the dream of being in the best cooking competition on the planet and my efforts were fruitful, as I got selected for the Judges auditions. It took a long application form, impressing many people with my food and cooking at lightning fast speeds to realise this dream .

During my time at MasterChef Australia, I saw 23 other incredible cooks at the MasterChef house, each with a distinct family background and an immense love for food. It showed me that food breaks boundaries and unites people.

Any fond memory/ies from the show MasterChef Australia that you would like to share. What did you like the most and why?

The entire journey has been memorable, right from day one to my last day in the kitchen. But getting rave reviews from Rick Stein and getting the perfect score and an immunity pin (A first in MasterChef Australia) was the highlight. Besides that, the time I spent with my closest friends there (now my family) Tati, Walleed and Anushka. I also have developed great friendships with other contestants and I have cherished memories with each and every one of them. Additionally, getting the title of “The Spice Angel” by the media has been memorable too.

You are associated with both Northern and Southern parts of India. Tell us about the spectrum of your specialty recipes – South, North, Vegetarian, Non-vegetarian, snacks, main courses etc. What are some of your favorite?

My Favourite food (even in cooking) is dependent on my mood, season and occasion. I’d prefer making hearty North Indian food in the peak winters and complex and flavourful South Indian food for summers. I have also been blessed by other regions of India and my Masala Lobster dish was a truly Indian Dish, as it included spice complexities of South, produce of East/ West (shores) of India and smoking technique of the North. No matter what I do, I love cooking and eating Indian food.

I am a savoury cook, I prefer to cook savoury over sweets. This is very similar to my personal choice of food as well.

Tell us more about the recipes you have adopted from the streets of Bengaluru and from the state of Kashmir?

I have loved the street side “bhajji and chutney” (Pakoras and Chutney) stalls at Bangalore. I made many chutneys and dips during my time in the MasterChef Kitchen, and most of these were the outcome of my experiences with street and Home food at Bangalore.

I have also cooked authentic Kashmiri dishes in the show, these dishes are rarely found in India too and I introduced my variant of Garam Masala (Based on the Kashmiri Garam Masala) to the MasterChef Australia Kitchen.

We saw you prepare curries in subsequent episodes that had upset some of your fans. What is it that you would like to tell them?

During our 190 years of British rule, the word “Curry” was an English christening and understanding of our cuisine, and sadly, many restaurants have limited Indian food to Naan and Butter Chicken!

A curry is a way of cooking and I’ve never seen anyone in India ask for a chicken curry, goat curry, lamb curry as we have names for most of these dishes (Sometimes ending with Curry). Some people got upset with me cooking predominantly Indian food, but I reckon that was more due to their lack of understanding of the complexity of Indian food. Having said that I’ve respect for all schools of thoughts, including the ones that were critical of me. I’m not perfect and I’m still learning and every critical feedback is another chance to learn or teach. I would humbly like to tell my critiques that Indian food is not just ‘Curries’ and curry is not a standalone dish, it’s a cooking technique, with incredible outcomes. I do assure them, that as I grow in the food world, I will hone my other skills as well, particularly desserts and foods from other regions of the world.

How do you make your unique recipes? What kind of research do you carry out and what innovation do you incorporate? At what stage do you know you have got it right? Who provides feedback on your recipes?

I’m an old school cook and have always tried to learn and recreate old recipes (Evident from my dishes in the MasterChef Kitchen). I have always tried to learn the recipes by watching my elders (I used to spend hours with my Grandmothers and mom) and then try the recipe myself. After watching a master cook a dish, I sample it often and try to recreate it as an original. In cooking, repetitions breed consistency and consistency hones skill, the real secret is practise, acknowledge all feedback and be your own biggest critic.

We, the public, have never been more health and diet conscious. Tell us about how your recipes cater to those who watch their weight and energy levels. What advice do you have for healthy eating? Do you calibrate your recipes for their calorie, fat, protein, sugar values? How do you rate your recipes on these counts?

Health is paramount and a healthy mind comes from a healthy body. I believe in the balance of everything in my food, spices, flavours, seasoning and nutrition. Making healthy food is also about ensuring very little to no food waste. If you use most parts of a veg or an animal, you derive the best nutrition from it and also become a sustainable cook. In my opinion, if we eat a balanced diet and keep active, health will follow.

Being a student of old school cooking, I’ve realised that our ancestors were very skilled at balancing the food in a way that it wasn’t wasteful and it was optimal for a healthy living. Indulgence hasn’t been a forte of Indian cooking,it’s always fresh, flavourful and balanced. We do have celebration dishes, but that’s what they are, a celebration and not a regular food. Since my cooking is mostly home style cooking, I’ve always been able to keep it healthy and also ensured that I do not waste any food in the process.

Could you tell us more about any international/fusion recipes you might have tried? What was the outcome?

1. At the MasterChef Kitchen, I’ve tried to combine Walleed’s slow cooked lamb shoulder with my slow cooking technique. We basically seared the meat and used Garam Masala and whole spices in the stock (with veggies). The end result was a stunning pulled lamb souvlaki, that was incredible with Raita.
2. During a team challenge, I had also paired my Mangalore Prawn Curry with Arab Yogurt Flat bread. It is a food memory that I’ll never forget.

I also like to replace Vanilla with Cardamom and Saffron in baking. The results have been interesting and unique.

Indian food finds significant presence in the main centres of Australia such as Sydney, Melbourne etc now. Do you have an opinion about the type of food that is prepared and distributed?

Indian food in Australia needs to come a long way from what the perception of our food here is. We need to display more of our food heritage, than just calling everything a Curry and serve it with Naan or rice. There’re some definite champions of the cuisine here, but we’ve a long way to go.

We also need formal schools of Indian cooking to train the next generation of chefs, who can take this age old cuisine into the next century.

You consider that Bengaluru is a food pilgrimage for you. Tell us more about how you arrived at that profound conclusion.

When we left Kashmir in 1990s, Bangalore gave us food, shelter, education and above all, ‘Dignity’. I’ve always felt that these are the things that you receive in a place of worship as well . Bangalore has also been a food pilgrimage to me, because I was introduced to a different food world, far from what I had seen and known in Kashmir or in North India. As I grew up with the ‘Ajjis’ (Grand Mothers in Kannada language) in my society and sampled their love in their food, I also watched Bangalore become a melting pot of cultures with the onset of IT Industry. Bangalore has introduced me to Indian and global foods like no one else. This intimate connection with Bangalore makes it my home and a food pilgrimage to me.

Tell us more about your post- Master Chef ambitions?

The world is my Oyster now! There’s so much that I can do and so many paths that I can take. I’m working on launching my spice blends and Garam Masala under my new name “The Spice Angel”. I am also working on my food joint which will serve Indian BBQ (On coals) and Biryani. However, for now, I’m back to being an IT Project Manager, because the bills have to be paid in the short run and any dream needs investment.

How do you balance your time as a Master Chef, being a full time IT Project Manager and being a part of a young family?

Since my time at the MasterChef kitchen, this has been a very hard balancing act, but I’ve an incredible family and a great circle of friendswho make it easier for me. No journey is easy, and especially so when the dreams and aspirations are big. I am trying my best to focus on my goal, but not lose the focus on what’s the most important part of my life, my family.

You can follow Sandeep on Instagram @sandeep_cooks and be a part of his journey.