For Melbourne chef Saavni Krishnan, food has always been about blending flavours and bringing people together. It’s that sole motivation that’s seen her win the prestigious The Age Good Food Guide’s Young Chef of the Year Award.
Saavni and her husband Sriram Aditya run Saadi, a pop-up that reimagines Indian cuisine – moving beyond curry and naan to celebrate India’s diversity.
“I was thrilled to win Young Chef,” Saavni tells Indian Link. “It’s a recognition I hope will open doors for more collaborations and opportunities to showcase a bold, heartfelt take on Indian food.”
The award is presented annually to “a committed and talented chef aged 30 or under with an exciting culinary viewpoint, a social conscience and strong leadership potential.” She was picked for ‘weaving together beautifully her Indian heritage with European technique and Australian influences.’
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The pop up Saadi was born from a desire to change the way Indian food is perceived in Australia. “Most Indian restaurants stick to the usual – curries, naan, biryanis. But there’s so much more,” Saavni Krishnan says. With her husband by her side, she set out to showcase the food they grew up eating at home – comforting, vibrant, and deeply personal.
The rice dumplings with tomato kombucha, for example, deconstruct the classic rasam-rice pairing, swapping tamarind for the tangy complexity of fermented tomatoes.
Another dish, sundarkala, a lesser-known noodle dish from Uttarakhand, is reimagined with coriander chutney, tamarind broth, pippies, and turnips – merging regional Indian tradition with fresh Australian produce.
Mumbai to Melbourne
The honour comes quite early in her career, having only arrived in Australia in 2016 to study culinary arts at Sydney’s William Angliss Institute. She took a Cert 4 and Diploma in Hospitality while working in the industry under renowned chefs, learning to embrace European techniques while staying true to her Indian roots.
Working in Sydney’s Fred’s helped her create a strong base – it gave her experience as well as an opportunity to later work for more acclaimed restaurants in Melbourne such as Etta and Manzé (her current employer).
Adapting to Australia’s culinary scene wasn’t without its challenges. “The accent was tricky at first,” she admits. “I’d struggle to communicate my ideas, but I learned quickly – people here are open and accepting.”
Under Chef Danielle Alvarez at Fred’s, she developed a respect for seasonality and sourcing from local farmers.
At Etta, Saavni Krishnan discovered the depth of Southeast Asian flavours, something she may never have explored otherwise.
The techniques and knowledge Saavni has gathered are all put to effective use in the Indian preparations at Saadi, such as the practice of making a good sauce or a dressing, or the skill required to prepare meat and fish, etc. The Australian influences that can be seen at Saadi are about showcasing the local produce that this country has to offer.
“I am truly grateful to all these guiding influences – because everything I’ve learned here will one day help me when I open my own restaurant,” she says, beaming.
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Early inspirations
Growing up in Mumbai, Saavni’s childhood meals reflected a rich confluence of her Punjabi mother’s bold, hearty dishes, her Tamilian father’s soulful South Indian flavours, and the irresistible street food of Mumbai—spicy missal pav, tangy chaat, and crispy butta on monsoon trips to Lonavala. These diverse tastes shaped her palate and her passion for cooking.
“There was never really one ‘masterchef’ in the kitchen. Both my parents worked during the week, but they would love to together whip up something nice for us on weekends,” Saavni tells Indian Link.
Her father, who once dreamed of being a chef, encouraged her to pursue culinary arts when she discovered her love for experimenting in the kitchen. Leaving behind a fleeting interest in botany, Saavni Krishnan took the leap, enrolling in Manipal University’s culinary program.
“I think what actually got me into cooking was the joy it brought us as a family when we all came together to prepare meals,” Saavni shares.
Her earliest food memories are of podding fresh peas with her family during winter and savouring them all year long.
“This got the emotion of ‘cooking brings people together’ in me. Now that I look back and think, it does inspire me to continue cooking every day.”
With the Good Food Guide award now under her belt, Saavni is excited about what’s next. “It’s not just about the recognition,” she says. “It’s about the doors it opens – the chance to collaborate, to bring our pop-ups to more people, and to push boundaries even further.”
Recipe
WHAT: Thataai
DESCRIPTION: Rice flour and lentil cracker that can be eaten by itself as a snack or with some chutneys. We served ours with onion chutney and diced raw tuna for one of our pop-ups.
INGREDIENTS:
- Rice flour- 2cups
- Urad daal flour- 3tbsp
- Asafoetida- 1/4tsp
- Red Chilli powder- 1tsp
- Channa daal- 1tbsp
- Sesame seeds- 1tbsp
- Butter- 2tbsp
- Salt- 1tsp
- Water (as needed)
- Oil- for frying
PREPARATION:
- Soak channa dal for 1 hour
- Dry roast rice flour for 2 minutes on medium flame. Make sure it doesn’t change colour. Cool
- Mix all ingredients together except water. Make sure the butter is fully incorporated in the dry mix.
- Add water in batches until you form a soft and pliable dough.
- Form dough balls of desired weights and roll it thin without breaking it.
- Fry until golden brown.
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