After winning MasterChef Australia in 2017, Diana Chan has travelled the world sharing her food knowledge. The Malaysian-born Australian cook was recently in India — the latest of her many trips to the country — to conduct a masterclass at Conrad Pune. t2 caught up with Diana on MasterChef and more.
You have been to India before. What do you like the most about this country?
I have been to India many times and I am thrilled to be back here with Conosh, a community that conducts amazing masterclasses for the food lover community. Every time I come here, there is something new and exciting. I have no expectations when I travel so that I have the best experience, regardless. I like to be surprised and love discovering new things, so I am open about discovering what is new and exciting that India has to offer.
What I love about India is the vibrancy. The streets of the major cities are always packed and it is electrifying. I also love that every time I am in India, I try new things, whether it’s in relation to the culture, the people or the food. It is always new and eye-opening.
What were the highlights of the Conosh masterclass that you did at Conrad Pune?
The masterclass with Conosh showcased a few different dishes and techniques of my Chinese-Malaysian background. I showed how to make the beloved dumplings which everyone enjoys, handmade noodles and also an eggless dessert. I wanted to share these recipes so that the audience will be able to replicate them at home.
You are a huge ambassador for Malaysian cuisine. What, in your opinion, makes Malaysian cuisine unique and yet accessible?
Malaysian food is unique in the sense that it is multicultural and multiracial. We have myriad dishes ranging from the delicate flavours of traditional Chinese cooking to the more bold and spicy flavours found in Indian and Malay cooking. There are also different subcultures which are lesser known and I am excited to highlight them in my upcoming dinners.
Have you seen the love and demand for Malaysian cuisine grow globally over the last decade or so?
Yes, but it is still quite an untapped market. I have grown up eating Malaysian food and I have watched my mother prepare it since I was a kid. There are lots of dishes, from famous ones like Rendang and Laksa to more intricate and lesser-known dishes like my tamarind fish dish.
It has been six years since you won MasterChef Australia. How much of that experience and expertise has made you the chef you are today?
I would say that my food knowledge hasn’t grown that much though I have developed and learnt techniques over the years. I was brought up by my mother who is an incredibly meticulous and traditional cook and it has definitely rubbed off on me. However, I do find ways to simplify her methods using modern technology, which I am sure she probably doesn’t agree with!
Do you like Indian cuisine? Any specific dishes that you absolutely love?
I love Indian cuisine! My mum cooks great Indian food. Many of our friends and family often hang for her Roti Puri. She made a lot of it for us when we were kids, along with some chicken curry and dal. In terms of what I like, I like most food. There’s not much that I wouldn’t eat. I am incredibly open, but one thing that I love about India is definitely the rotis. I often find they are made so well there... just impossible to replicate. My favourite is onion dosa. I am also a big fan of sambar and rasam. I make them at home sometimes.
Malaysian and Indian cuisines use a lot of similar ingredients and perhaps even style of cooking. What would you say are the biggest similarities and the biggest differences?
The biggest similarities in Malaysian and Indian cuisines would be the use of spices and also the layers that each dish presents. I would say that the two cuisines have a cooking technique that is harder to replicate unless you have tasted it. It is all about the application of heat, knowing what ingredients to add when and the seasoning.
Is there any specific part of the world whose cuisine you haven’t explored much and would love to try?
I would love to explore Korea and the Middle East. I am a big fan of Middle Eastern food. I think it is incredibly tasty. Korean food also intrigues me. It is one place I would love to travel to. I love the use of chillies in their food as I like spicy food myself.
What is your ultimate food dream?
To be able to travel the world and document all the incredible landscape and history of food. I think being a food and travel host — which I do part time — would be my ultimate dream job.