Cooking up a storm with Australian Celebrity Chef Sarah Todd!

"MY ASSOCIATION WITH INDIA HAS IMMENSELY INFLUENCED MY COOKING STYLE. I USE THE BEST OF BOTH CUISINES, INDIAN AND FRENCH - AND WHAT COMES OUT IS A BEAUTIFUL FUSION."

- DAYA KINGSTON

We caught up with Sarah Todd, celebrity chef, restaurateur, author and a finalist in the popular cooking competition MasterChef Australia Season Six as she hosted a Master Class at Palladium, Phoenix Mall, Chennai. Hair pulled back into a tight ponytail held together with a scrunchie, her freshly scrubbed face look and a radiant smile give her a girlish charm.

She impressed us with three signature dishes, Prawn Farce with spice, confit prawns with chat masala salsa and spiced prawn blanc and says, "My association with India has immensely influenced my cooking style. I use the best of both cuisines, Indian and French and what comes out is a beautiful fusion. I have a deep connect with India and that reflects in my cooking." -

What kindled her interest in cooking?

"My growing up years were in a small town, my mom was a single mom who worked really hard, but the one thing she made sure was that by 6.30 or 7 p.m., she had this beautiful meal for us and we all got together and decompressed at the end of the day. There were no distractions and my extended family got together often too. As I grew older, I realized how important that was and that food can bring people together and the way it brought out a lot of emotions and nostalgia. You can ask anyone what their favourite dish is, and they usually refer to their childhood or something really nostalgic. For me that was the biggest job and kind of starting point.

“When I started to travel, I saw different cultures and cuisines. The food in Australia where I come from is very simple. There were not too many flavours, so while travelling and exploring wanted to get to know more about this.