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Have you been following MasterChef Australia’s ongoing season? Whether your answer is no or yes, you must know about Depinder Chhibber. Yes! Depinder is back on this show, and so are many celebrity chefs and restaurateurs, who have previously appeared on past seasons of MasterChef Australia. But this time, it is different. It is not an ordinary contest where home chefs are learning; it is a showdown among titans in the industry who have years of cooking experience and have left maestros in the culinary world impressed with their sheer talent.
Much like the last time when Depinder appeared on the show and made Indian cuisine shine, she is following the same trail but with additional layers of grit, determination, and passion. So far, she has prepared several dishes, and each one has left the judges - Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin, and Jean-Christophe Novelli - surprised. She knows her strengths, she understands flavours, and she plays around with ingredients like a virtuoso does with notes. If you haven’t watched the show yet or followed it over weekends, you should check out the Indian recipes that Depinder replicated in the kitchen of MasterChef Australia.
Punjabi Thali
In one of the earliest episodes of the show, Depinder prepared a Punjabi thali. “A Thali encapsulates the most perfect meal, it’s balanced, it’s delicious, and every element complements each other. I grew up eating in a Thali, my grandfather always ate in a Thali…it was mesmerising,” read the caption. Can you guess the dishes it included? The full-fledged thali had everyone’s favourite rajma, earthy jeera rice, rich shahi paneer, salad, papad, refreshing raita, and dhaba chicken. It had judges go crazy.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Aslam Butter Chicken
This is the dish Depinder cooked for her first solo cooking round on MasterChef Australia 2025. While explaining her dish, she wrote, “Aslam Butter Chicken, a North Indian street style snack which originates from the streets of old Delhi, bustling streets, crowded stalls, delicious food cooked over charcoal and lots more.” She added that it used to be her favourite midnight snack, and she could not think of making any other taste-bud-tantalising street food dish but this.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Banana Leaf Fish Fry
For all the pescatarians out there, Depinder cooked banana leaf fish fry in a challenge where the chefs have to present a lip-smacking delight in a short span of time, just like how a mother swishes her magic wand and cooks a dish to satisfy her child’s hunger pangs. She cooked the fish in just 20 minutes. The best part? The meat absorbs the smokiness and aroma from the banana leaf. Depinder served it with jeera rice and chutney on the side.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Raj Kachori
Yes! You heard that right. Depinder served raj kachori to the judges on MasterChef Australia 2025. Raj Kachori! A street food, which you have grown up eating, has had the culinary masters go crazy. Why not? Green chutney, curd, crispy kachori, spiced filling, and saunth (tamarind chutney) come together to create a symphony of flavours. They could not understand what hit their taste buds and kept on going for one bite after another. They loved it so much that Depinder was titled the queen of raj kachori.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Cheesy Lamb Samosa
Okay! Here, a case can be made that Depinder did not prepare the famous aloo samosa sold across the streets of India. But if you look at it historically, a samosa is not an Indian dish. She stuffed the sheets with spicy and cheese lamb filling. When the judges broke it and pulled two pieces apart, they were amazed to witness the cheese pull that can make foodies (and non-foodies) salivate.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Smoked Chicken Cafreal
It is a Goan dish where the chicken is cooked with cumin, coriander, chillies, cardamom, and cinnamon. It is smoky and flaunts earthy notes, making each bite a treat for the tongue as well as the nose (because of the aromatic spices). She served it with flaky paratha and onion-tomato chutney (a staple in many Indian households).
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Prawn Sukka
South Indian food lovers will rejoice when they see what Depinder cooked during Doha week. "Today I made a beautiful medley of dishes from the South of India, Prawn Sukka, Banana buns/breads or as some call them Mangalore Buns, along with a Mango Pachadi and tempered rice," read the caption. She certified this dish as a flavour bomb. Don't you agree?
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Aloo Tikki
Another shocker, right? Depinder made aloo tikki, the same you get on Indian streets, starting at Rs 10. In a 90-minute elimination challenge, she made aloo tikki chhole chaat. There is no doubt that she passed the round with flying colours as judges were stumped with the crunchy aloo tikki, spiced chhole, fresh and creamy curd, citrusy chutney, and sweet spread creating a part scene on their palates. After seeing this, you will also be inspired to make chaat at home.
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
Sadhya
For those who aren’t aware, Sadhya is a South Indian meal, usually prepared during Onam, Pongal, and other festive occasions, especially in Kerala. More than 15 dishes are served on a banana leaf, and each one has a role to play in striking a balance of flavours. While posting about it, Depinder wrote, “This is my version of a S A D H Y A, a beautiful feast served on a Banana leaf which celebrates textures, flavours and colours of the South. I was lucky enough to have my very first Sadhya in Munnar, Kerala, a few years ago, and since then, I have made it a few times now. This is one of those core memories that you just want to recreate as many times as possible.”
Image Credit: Depinder Chhibber/ Instagram
