Sri Lankan-born Savindri Perera, or Sav as she is best known, recently drew the applause of the judges on the latest season of MasterChef Australia for her Sri Lankan dish.

According to media reports, born in Colombo where she had lived until moving to Adelaide aged 18, food permeates Sav’s childhood memories, growing up with older sister Chethanee, her late mother Chandrika, and father Chethiya.

She had cited her beloved mother as her food hero. She had noted that Chandrika was an exceptional cook and that the family had lived within a culture that valued both the act of cooking and eating together. Memories of eating from roadside stalls with cousins or unforgettable crab curry Sunday lunches are just part of what forms Sav’s ‘family food map’.

The loss of her mother in 2017 however had left a void in Sav. Accepting her mother’s passing has been a long road through the many stages of grief, but through cooking, Sav has built a deep resilience and finally feels ready to take on the MasterChef Australia challenge, in part to honour her mother’s memory and the indelible mark she has left on Sav.

Describing her cooking style as rustic, generous, and colourful, Sav’s love of cooking had amped up around age 12 after discovering Nigella Lawson. She had reportedly listed onion, garlic, and curry leaves as her holy trinity.

Hoping to become a permanent fixture on the Adelaide food scene, Sav’s ultimate dream is to one day have a brunch café celebrating Sri Lankan flavours.