Chetna Makan, the baker and food writer who competed on The Great British Bake Off, has released "5 Ingredient Indian," a cookbook designed to strip away complexity from Indian home cooking. The book arrives at a moment when many home cooks feel intimidated by the spice lists and technique demands of traditional Indian recipes.
Makan's approach centres on simplification without sacrificing flavour. By limiting each recipe to five core ingredients, she challenges the misconception that authentic Indian food requires a pantry of obscure spices and hours of preparation. This philosophy reflects a broader shift in how British audiences approach international cuisines: accessibility trumps perceived authenticity.
The cookbook spans curries, breads, and vegetable dishes, each built from foundational ingredients like onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic, plus one or two defining spices. This method teaches home cooks the building blocks of Indian flavour rather than rote recipe-following.
Makan's career trajectory matters here. Her Bake Off appearance in 2014 introduced her to mainstream audiences as a technically precise baker with Indian heritage. She has since become a bridge figure in British food media, translating Indian culinary traditions for audiences who grew up outside those traditions. Her writing and television appearances have established her as both educator and advocate.
When discussing India's restaurant landscape, Makan identifies the restaurants pushing British Indian food forward, moving beyond the curry-house template that dominated the late 20th century. Chefs like Meera Sodha and others have elevated regional cuisines, sourcing better ingredients and reviving traditional preparation methods.
The revelation that Makan orders from Greggs, the ubiquitous British bakery chain, adds a relatable note. It humanises her beyond the role of culinary authority and speaks to how modern food professionals exist within multiple food worlds simultaneously