SA MasterChef contestant Savindri Perera praises Poh Ling Yeow as she prepares for Ten’s reality show

With her late mother’s passion for food instilled into her, SA’s sole contestant on the new series of MasterChef is feeling the heat after quitting her job to star on the reality cooking show.

Poh Ling Yeow is MasterChef Australia’s new “ray of sunshine” as Ten’s reality cooking show returns to screens without the late Jock Zonfrillo.

South Australia’s only contestant on the latest series, Savindri Perera, praised the addition of Adelaide-based Yeow on a revamped judging panel, which comes after Zonfrillo’s shock death in April last year.

“I love Poh. She is just a beautiful person. Think of the ray of sunshine you get from her on-screen, then multiply it by 10 times,” Ms Perera said.

“We’ve all known and grown to love her but as a judge, she and Andy (Allen), because they’ve been through the competition, they really understand certain decisions we make in the kitchen. Poh has been a great mentor more than anything.”

Ms Perera said Zonfrillo’s absence is still felt every day but the additions of Yeow, food critic Sofia Levin and Michelin Star chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, alongside Andy Allen, had reinvigorated the popular series.

MasterChef Australia’s new judging line-up: Andy Allen, Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Previous MasterChef Judges Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo, Andy Allen. Picture: Ten.

“I’m sure the weight of that loss is still deeply felt by Andy and Poh,” Ms Perera said.

“It’s always there, it’s very sad but I think the fact that we’re focused on new beginnings this season... that's a great way to approach it with new judges and a fresh take on the show.”

Sri Lankan-born Ms Perera, 30, has her eyes firmly on the MasterChef crown, quitting her full-time job as a banking consultant to follow her dreams in the kitchen.

“It’s all or nothing for me. In the process of applying for the show, I realised I had to go all in... I can’t have that safety net (of a job),” Ms Perera said, who also has a neuroscience and psychology degree from UniSA.

“I didn’t want to spend all this time trying to negotiate coming back to work... when I just knew I didn’t want to go back. It absolutely adds an extra layer of pressure.”

She said her passion for cooking comes from her cultural upbringing, and her food hero, mother Chandrika, who died in 2017.

When Ms Perera moved to Adelaide as an 18-year-old, Chandrika gave her youngest daughter a notebook, filled with recipes and cooking basics to help the teenager navigate life in her new home.

“She wrote everything down for me, I still refer to it all the time,” she said.

“She’s always with me. Everything that I do – especially if it’s a creative pursuit – is a little love letter to my mum.

“I was fortunate enough to have a mum that really lined the core of my being with so much richness. I always carry that with me.”

Adelaide's Savindri Perera is SA's only contestant on the new series of MasterChef Australia. Picture: Channel 10.

MasterChef contestant Savindri Perera, far right, with older sister Chethanee, mum Chandrika, and dad Chethiya in 2016.

Ms Perera is determined to make her mother proud, and showcase the best of her native Sri Lankan cuisine.

Among her signature dishes are a chicken curry, and a dish called lamprais, a parcel of rice that comes with two different types of meat and is baked in a banana leaf.

“It’s the crown jewel of Sri Lankan cuisine. When you eat our food, it’s all about the perfect bite. It’s built around combining carbs with a hot element and vegies to add layers or give it texture,” Ms Perera said.

Whatever happens on MasterChef, Ms Perera plans to make a career in cooking, with the ultimate goal of opening up a Sri Lankan restaurant in Adelaide.

“Food is probably the love of my life – not to romanticise it, but it really is. It’s the one constant that I come back to,” she said.

“It’s not just a comfort to me but it’s a way of keeping in touch with her (mother) and keeping her alive in me.”

MasterChef Australia returns on Monday, April 22, at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.