Fresh off her Top 10 spot in MasterChef Australia Season 17, Audra Morrice, who has roots in Chennai and Puducherry, recalls the big moments from the show, how her mixed origins inspire her culinary chops, and why she loves Bharli Vangi. Excerpts from an interview
Audra Morrice in the MasterChef Australia kitchen during season 17. PICS COURTESY/MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA, AUDRA MORRISE
MID-DAY: How did it feel to return to the MasterChef kitchen after your previous appearance in 2012?
AUDRA MORRICE: THE first day I walked into the MasterChef kitchen was emotional and nostalgic. This is the place that changed my life. From nearly two decades in corporate telecommunications, to running a private dining/catering business, to now, championing the preservation of cultural cuisine, judging on MasterChef Asia and Singapore, and most recently, creating my own TV series, Eat Roam Relish: Sarawak Malaysia, that uncovers the depth of gastronomy through people and community, it is surreal to imagine how far I’ve come. Back in 2012, I wanted to explore the possibility of food becoming my future. This time was different: I’m established; I champion the diversity in South, North and Southeast Asian cuisine and their beautiful cultures. I want the audience to understand that Asian cuisine is not an umbrella but a plethora of multiple cuisines that deserves to be recognised and understood and celebrated individually.
In this season, I pushed my cultural cuisine and also injected some of myself in dishes, like my final dish. Conceptually, it was a northern Spanish paella, built up with flavours of prawn stock and Njuja (similar to the more commonly used Sobrasada in Spain) with accents of Yuzu Kosho. Every dish was aimed to be delicious for the soul and tummy. Sometimes, it worked to the brief; sometimes, it didn’t.
MD: What helped you ace your game in the Top 10 showing? And what life lessons did you bring home?
AM: Interestingly, I went as far as I could. The longer I was there, the more I could spread my message. In such competition, you either study or formulate dishes to win challenges, or like me, cook with instinct, nostalgia and an honest approach to putting up delicious food. Every dish I cooked was connected to my heritage, my life and my travels, and my favourite eats. I wasn’t interested in putting a plate of food on the table to dazzle, or meet a brief and win a challenge. There are formulae to winning, and I didn’t subscribe to it. Many place such value in winning, in gaining Michelin stars. The value of good food stems from your kitchen, created by your grandmother’s hands. That’s when it feeds the soul, and you’ll feel like returning for more.
As for life-long lessons, staying calm and collected often allows you to produce incredible food. Also, ego is poison to food. It’s not sustainable and it leaves a bad taste. Never believe that you know everything as a chef, because you don’t. I am constantly learning from those who might not be acclaimed, world-famous chefs. My teachers are those who cook simple food that is also satisfying and complex.
Audra Morrice
MD: Who do you think will win this year’s edition?
AM: I’m 99% certain who wins but you’ll have to watch to find out!
MD: Your father’s family hails from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, while your mother has Chinese roots. How does it impact your culinary process?
AM: Growing up, whilst the Chinese influence dominated, living in Singapore, my mother also cooked several dishes inspired by South Indian flavours. She was an incredibly talented cook who could taste a dish and replicate it. Mom loved cooking with spices that were abundant in our kitchen, and made the most delicious curries. My first cookbook, My Kitchen, Your Table, has one of my favourite dishes of hers, Masala Chicken Curry that utilises no coconut milk or cream but also has the possibility of adding them. Until I had moved out of home in my mid-late 20s, and ate out in Indian restaurants, I wasn’t aware of its diverse cooking styles. I started exploring different regional Indian cuisines in the MasterChef kitchen.
I wanted to create a TV series about the exploration of my Indian heritage, and began researching India’s cuisines. The more I dug, the more obsessed I got. Nearly three years ago, I travelled to India for the first time. We went to Chennai, the birthplace of my grandmother. I heard countless things about India but decided to go with an open mind and heart. The generosity, spirituality and pride of local cooks and craftsmen was overwhelming; every day, I tasted a different dish. Prior to my dad passing away, he shared stories of my pātti (Tamil: grandmother). I’ve had a longstanding love for appam, and dad would recall how she’d prepare it daily while they were growing up in Singapore. The fact that I never met both my grandparents fuels me to want to discover roots. This journey of discovery will never end for me.
Morrice hops onto her first auto ride in Chennai
MD: Last year, you posted about combining a Singaporean Indian classic, vadai with a takoyaki because both are donuts. Where did that come from?
AM: I wanted to have some fun in the kitchen but I also wanted to tie it to my life. My husband is half-Japanese; his mother was from Osaka. Takoyaki is one of my great loves; you’ll find them at every street corner in Osaka. I loved that it’s a delicious snack. I began to think of how I could combine both our heritages in a dish. Vadai is also one of my great loves. Since my boys were little, every trip back to Singapore was incomplete without visiting our favourite South Indian vegetarian restaurant off Serangoon Road. As kids, dad would accompany us, and taught us to eat with our hands.
Conceptually, both are derived out of a batter; one more liquid, the other more of a fermented super soft dough, I could channel in those beautiful vadai flavours, amp up the spice levels to ensure it’s fully South Indian in flavour but use the concept of the takoyaki batter as a methodology. So instead of dashi, I used coconut milk. The dish was an absolute hit; a brilliant combination that is officially now my signature snack!
MD: When is your next visit to India?
AM: I’m planning a trip to Kerala this December, to explore it from north to south. I’d love to feature the state as the next series of Eat Roam Relish. Many travel there, but have only scratched the surface. I want viewers to experience from its Muslim, Syrian Christian and Hindu communities. I want to delve into its traditions, cooking techniques, and its produce, and meet and eat with them to uncover their stories.
Much of the show’s intent is to educate and provide a better understanding of local life and the etiquette of visiting, so the true essence of responsible travel is experienced. As travellers, we must respect as much as we experience. Similar to my series in Sarawak, Malaysia, I want people to watch the series, and feel like heading there straightaway. The quicker we find investors, who believe in our concept and intent, the sooner we can showcase Kerala to the world! I’m also keen to explore Odisha, Assam and Maharashtra; I’d like to travel from Pune to the coast and Mumbai. My friend’s mother recently taught me how to cook the most delicious Bharli Vangi and Jowar roti. It’s mind-blowing how richness is derived from ground peanuts.
Coorg, Madurai, Gujarat, and Lucknow [for its Awadhi cuisine] are on my endless list. I doubt if I can experience all of India in my lifetime so wherever I go, I look forward to making it the most meaningful.
LOG ON TO audramorrice.com.au
INDIA HOPPING
Audra Morrice (from left) poses with white carrots and radish at a vegetable stall in Jodhpur; shops in Sadar Bazar, Delhi; tries her hand at making roti at a Jaipur vendor’s eatery; samples street food in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi alongside Sufian, a local historian.
Last year, we travelled to Delhi. I loved old Delhi, its chaos, food, alleyways at dusk, spice trade and kitchen bazaars. We also drove to Jaipur, Pushkar and Jodhpur,” recalls Morrice.
RAPID FIRE
1 An ingredient that best describes you: I’ve loved chillies all my life. There are so many varieties. It adds that extra something to the dish, and hits the spot every time!
2 Your go-to dish when all else fails: Pot Stickers! All you need is flour and water to make the dough and anything you can find in your fridge/freezer for the filling. It takes me exactly 60 minutes to make from scratch, dough, filling and cooking about 60 pieces.
3 A hack from the MasterChef kitchen: This isn’t a hack but a piece of equipment. I would love to own the blast chiller. It helps to set everything so quickly!
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