MasterChef Australia 2014 finalist Sarah Todd: “Learning is key in the restaurant business”

I went crab-catching in the backwaters with a local family in Goa. We caught fresh crab, took it up to the bank and cooked a beautiful crab xacuti. Seeing the different techniques and layers being pulled out of a coconut right from coconut water, coconut cream, coconut milk was fascinating. I had never seen something like that before.

In Rajasthan I learnt to make bajre ki roti over fire with a local family in a village... The rotis are made using a specific technique on the palm. I kept getting in trouble with the lady because I wasn’t doing it right. That memory is just visually imprinted in my mind. I’ll never forget the technique. A lot of times you forget things because of the setting you are taught in. But it’s the emotion and connect to family that make food special. It’s a lifelong memory.

Which Indian spices do you love cooking with?

Cumin is something I use the most. It’s a really versatile spice. Even if I am making a simple Australian dinner of roast veggies, I throw in some cumin on to my carrots. It adds a beautiful flavour. I often make a seafood curry here in Australia using classic Indian spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and chilies.

Here in Australia we mostly get all the standard dishes like butter chicken and dal makhni. But no one gets to try all these other beautiful dishes. So for the Masterchef finale I had all the contestants over for a huge curry night. I made a lot of different dishes including kheema, saag and fish curry.

What are your favourite places to eat in India?

I love the street food - papdi chaat, bhelpuri. That’s the first thing I turn to when I land in India. All those beautiful flavours coming alive in front of your eyes is just so amazing. I am obsessed with dosa and love eating at the Dakshinayan in Mumbai. The vegetarian thali at Maharaja Bhog and Mumbai sandwich from a stall near St Xavier's College are also my favourites. I order the biggest crab at Mahesh Lunch Home. When I am in Goa, I go to the local fish thali place Vinayak in Assangao. But the one dish I always go back to is the first dish I ever tried, which is keema.

How big is Indian food in Australia? Any recommendations?

Indian cuisine has started to evolve in the last two years and it’s something everyone’s talking about. MasterChef and obviously the Indian population in Australia play a huge part. But there’s still a long way to go.

In Australia, the Indian restaurants I usually go to and would recommend are Babu Ji, Daughter-in-law and Roti Boti.

You have had a couple of big blows in the restaurant business with the fire at Antares and then the pandemic.

I took it really hard in the early days when the fire broke out at the restaurant. It took me a long time to get over it. Seeing something that you have built over years of hard work disappear in the blink of an eye is pretty scary. So resilience is something I have had to build. I also learnt not to take things personally in the restaurant business. Educating myself and learning more about the industry is definitely something I am working on.

Goa has seen quite a few restaurant launches lately. Do you think this is sustainable - can Goa take it?

Goa definitely has the space and the infrastructure is coming along. It’s no more just an influx of tourists during holiday time. There are a lot of people buying holiday homes in Goa. So it’s becoming a main hub for people throughout the year. If that keeps happening it can be sustained.

What next?

I will be opening an India-inspired restaurant in Australia in 2023. And then another one in Mumbai.