A 46-year-old Indian-origin woman from New South Wales, Sumeet Saigal, has impressed the judges and shot to social media fame with her latest dish chilli cashew curry in the ongoing season of MasterChef Australia, currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India.

Sumeet, a sales professional, was part of the Burgandy Team in a service challenge in the second episode of MasterChef Australia 2024. The task required each team to prepare a three-course meal for the 40 MasterChef Legends who were the guests on the episode. Sumeet was in-charge of making the main course and had to champion the core ingredients — chilli and cashew nuts. “My superpower is spices,” she claimed as she dived into her task.

Sumeet's passion for food runs deep, rooted in her Punjabi heritage and nurtured by her upbringing in Bangalore, India. In her growing up years, Sumeet’s parents would often host parties at home, during which she and her brother Jasmeet eagerly observed the intricacies of food preparation.

A pivotal figure in Sumeet's culinary journey was her paternal grandfather, affectionately known as Darji, with a penchant for culinary experimentation. He also bestowed upon Sumeet her first cookbook and instilled in her a sense of curiosity and innovation in the kitchen.

Sumeet's dream is to start a sauce company and call it Sauce Boss.

This season heralds a fresh chapter in the MasterChef saga with the addition of three new judges alongside a familiar face. Andy Allen is joined at the judging panel by esteemed food critic and journalist Sofia Levin, renowned multi-Michelin Star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, and the beloved MasterChef veteran, Poh Ling Yeow.