Chetna's 5 Ingredient Indian

'Her food is a joy, and a true celebration of eating' Nigella Lawson

Making Indian food accessible is a driving force for Chetna Makan. For the last 10 years she has been on a mission to simplify Indian home cooking and in her new book, 5 Ingredient Indian, she has set herself the challenge of creating delicious, authentic tasting recipes with just five ingredients. Combining bold flavours and straightforward cooking methods the recipes include Sour and Spicy Potatoes and Masala Papad; Green Bean Stir Fry and Kaali Dal (Whole Black Lentils), one of Chetna’s family favourites, and Curry Leaf Prawns, Tandoori Murg (Roast Chicken), Saffron Rice Pudding and Coconut laddoo to name a few.

The five ingredients featured in each recipe include the meat or veg, pulses or dairy, the spices and the herbs. In addition to those five, there are, of course, a few basic store cupboard ingredients, things we all have readily available, such as salt and pepper, oil or ghee for cooking, chilli powder and sugar. And the key to achieving the flavour in many of the recipes are Chetna’s five spice blends or ‘masala’. Staying true to the book’s concept each spice blend includes just five ingredients, each of which can be prepared in advance for ease.

Chetna shows how everyone, from students and first-time chefs to experienced cooks alike, can make a delicious Indian meal at home using her effortless yet impressive recipes which also save time and money.

Demo, Talk & Tastings

Chetna Makan was born in Jabalpur in Central India. She has a degree in fashion and worked in Mumbai as a fashion designer before moving to the UK in 2004. Chetna was part of The Great British Bake Off in 2014 and since then has written 8 cookbooks. They range from baking, Indian street food, healthy Indian food, vegetarian and quick Indian. She has amassed a following of over 700.000 on Instagram and also has a very popular YouTube channel 'Food with Chetna' where she shares her creative flair for all things cooking and baking.