Chef

Bluestar Foods Australia Pty Ltd T/A Madurai Express; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Murugan Idli in Woodville Park, SA, is seeking a highly experienced Chef to lead our busy kitchen, specializing in South Indian, Indo-Chinese, and North Indian cuisine. The ideal candidate will manage high-volume operations, develop authentic menus, and ensure consistent quality and presentation.

You will supervise kitchen staff, control stock, maintain food safety standards, and partner with management on daily menu planning and service priorities for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.

Qualifications

• Qualification in Commercial Cookery or related field.
• Diploma level or higher preferred.
• Experience in South Indian vegetarian cuisine.
• Experience in kitchen coordination and stock management.
• Experience in quality control and menu preparation.
• Knowledge of Australian food safety, WHS requirements.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organise and cook South Indian vegetarian dishes.
• Prepare breakfast items like idli, dosa, uthappam, pongal, vada.
• Oversee chutneys, sambar, curries and accompaniments.
• Coordinate daily kitchen activities for dine-in, takeaway, delivery.
• Supervise kitchen staff and assign tasks on busy periods.
• Manage stock, ordering and storage procedures.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and WHS requirements.
• Collaborate on recipe development and menu consistency.
• Monitor quality and presentation of dishes.

Skills

South Indian veg cuisine

Kitchen management

Menu planning

Food safety compliance

Staff supervision

Stock management

Communication skills

Education

Diploma in Commercial Cookery

Job description

At Murugan Idli, based in Woodville Park, SA, we are seeking a highly experienced and creative Chef with exceptional expertise in South Indian, Indo-Chinese, and North Indian cuisine to lead our busy restaurant kitchen. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience managing high-volume kitchen operations, developing authentic menus that reflect traditional South Indian flavours, and maintaining consistent quality and presentation across all dishes.

This role requires a strong leader who can manage staff, ensure compliance with food safety standards, and oversee all aspects of menu planning, inventory control, and kitchen performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, organise, prepare and cook a variety of authentic South Indian vegetarian dishes in accordance with established recipes, traditional cooking methods, menu requirements and restaurant standards.
• Prepare and cook traditional South Indian breakfast and tiffin items, including idli, dosa, uthappam, pongal, vada, poori masala and other menu specialties.
• Oversee the preparation of fermented rice and lentil batters, chutneys, sambar, vegetable curries, gravies and other accompaniments required for daily food production.
• Prepare and cook South Indian lunch specialties, including South Indian meals, sambar rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice, curd rice, rasam, kootu, poriyal and other traditional vegetarian preparations.
• Prepare vegetarian snacks, Indo-Chinese dishes and desserts, including items such as paneer 65, gobi 65, fried rice, fried noodles, paniyaram, sakkarai pongal and halwa, as required by the restaurant's menu.
• Plan daily food preparation requirements, including ingredient quantities, preparation schedules, cooking procedures and portion sizes, to ensure efficient breakfast, lunch and dinner services.
• Coordinate daily kitchen activities and food production to ensure the timely preparation of dine-in, takeaway, pickup, online delivery, catering and group orders.
• Monitor the taste, texture, freshness, cooking consistency, portion sizes and presentation of dishes to maintain authentic flavours and established food quality standards.
• Supervise and coordinate kitchen staff and kitchen hands, allocate preparation tasks and provide guidance on traditional cooking techniques, food preparation methods and presentation requirements.
• Estimate ingredient requirements, manage stock levels, coordinate ordering and maintain appropriate storage, labelling and stock rotation procedures for vegetables, rice, lentils, spices and other kitchen supplies.
• Monitor ingredient usage and food production quantities, implement effective portion control and minimise unnecessary food wastage.
• Ensure food preparation, cooking, storage and handling comply with applicable Australian food safety, hygiene, sanitation and workplace health and safety requirements.
• Work with restaurant management to review existing recipes, improve preparation techniques, develop new menu offerings and maintain consistency in traditional South Indian vegetarian cuisine.
• Coordinate with management, kitchen staff and front-of-house personnel regarding daily menu availability, special orders, dietary requirements and service priorities.
• Monitor kitchen workflow, identify food preparation or quality issues and implement appropriate corrective measures to maintain efficient kitchen operations.

Skills and Expertise Required

• Experience preparing authentic South Indian vegetarian cuisine, including idli, dosa, curries, rice dishes and traditional snacks.
• Knowledge of traditional cooking techniques, food preparation and presentation standards.
• Ability to plan and coordinate kitchen operations and supervise staff during busy periods.
• Experience in stock management, ingredient handling and minimising food wastage.
• Sound knowledge of Australian food safety, hygiene and WHS requirements.
• Strong communication, teamwork, time management and organisational skills.

Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant qualification in Commercial Cookery, Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management or a related field, preferably at Diploma level or above.
• Relevant commercial cooking experience, preferably in South Indian vegetarian cuisine.
• Experience in kitchen coordination, food quality control, stock management and menu preparation.

What We Offer

• Permanent, full-time employment.
• Salary of $85,000 per annum plus superannuation.
• Opportunity to join a growing South Indian vegetarian restaurant business.
• Supportive and professional working environment.

Only eligible and short-listed applicants will be considered.