Until mid-June, most viewers of MasterChef Australia (streaming on Disney+ Hotstar) were convinced that Depinder Chhibber, or Pindo as she is fondly known, would be at least one of the three finalists on the popular cooking show, if not the winner. Born in Delhi, Chhibber, who moved to Australia when she was 11, had won judges over by bringing quintessential Indian flavours and dishes into the MasterChef kitchen. The chickpea curry, kadhai paneer, gobhi parantha and grandmother’s mustard pickle she made in the bento box challenge was praised as the “epitome of precision and perfection”. Other dishes included pakoras, prawn ghee roast, fish Amritsari, a crayfish kathi roll, and tandoori chicken with smoked lassi. After peaking early, she had two bad days in the kitchen, and, finally, finished eighth on…
