Age: 33

New South Wales

Instagram: @depinder_

Previous season & place: Season 13, placed 8th 

Since her last appearance in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, not only has Depinder Chhibber become a mother to two young daughters, but the part time pharmacist has also launched a supper club called Ghar – meaning home in Hindi – where she offers diners her homestyle Thali in a home dining atmosphere.

Never for a moment did Depinder believe she would be able to relive the magic of MasterChef Australia twice, but when opportunity knocked, she could not turn it down.

As far as career highlights go, 2023 provided one for Depinder when she was a guest judge on MasterChef India. Born in New Delhi herself and with a huge subcontinental fanbase, Depinder was blown away by the reception she received after her guest spot.

With her love of food stemming from her foodie grandfather, Depinder’s cooking journey was strongly influenced over her life by the women in her family. Growing up fascinated and inspired by watching her grandmother, mother and aunties cook, Depinder soaked in the tales and techniques of their rich Indian culture to carry on traditions.

Supported at home in her latest MasterChef Australia foray by husband Gurkirat and their daughters, Depinder has come Back To Win and plans to honour her Indian heritage, and showcase even more of what Indian cuisine has to offer, showing off technical skills and lesser known dishes.

Depinder’s perspective on both life and cooking has changed immensely in recent years, and while she is sacrificing time spent with her daughters to be here, she is driven to make them proud and be an example of believing in yourself, and to follow your passions. Feeling match-fit from her last season, Depinder knows what to expect of the competition and feels ready for the pressure and the pace.

Knowing that her strength will be her ability to switch between sweet and savoury food, Depinder is inspired by chefs including Gaggan Anand, Gordon Ramsay and Garima Arora.

In the future, Depinder has plans to run masterclasses and would dearly love to put pen to paper on her long-held dream of a cookbook.