The Cardamom Trail: Delicious bakes inspired by India

by Chetna Makan

Explore a myriad of flavors in this vibrant baking book from Chetna Makan of BBC1's The Great British Bake Off

Chetna Makan is known for her unique recipes, which introduce colorful spices, aromatic herbs and other Indian ingredients into traditional Western baked favorites.

Whether it's a sponge cake with a cardamom and coffee filling; puff pastry bites filled with fenugreek paneer; a swirly bread rolled with citrusy coriander, mint and green mango chutney; or a steamed strawberry pudding flavored with cinnamon, Chetna's Indian influences will transform your baking from the familiar to the exotic, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Discover rare but precious traditional bakes from India, as well as new spice-infused recipes. Delve into the history of Indian herbs and spices and learn how to match foods and flavors.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Foodie, Reference, India

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

I love to cook, whether its a simple chutney or a complicated recipe. I have been greatly inspired by my mum’s cooking who has taught me everything I know about flavours.

I trained as a fashion designer in Mumbai and moved to Broadstairs in Kent in 2003. I have always loved cooking but after having my 2 children I found my interest in baking grow. I am a creative yet meticulous baker, and find baking a perfect outlet for my creativity.

Trying out new techniques and challenging myself is what keeps me going. Being on Great British Bake Off 2014 has been an amazing journey and has given me the confidence to try new combinations of flavours. I will always cherish this experience and the time I spent in the tent with my fellow bakers.

Reviews

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Put aside all of my responsibilities to read this today. (And yes, I did read it... not just skim the recipes ;) ) It is the most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen. The photography is stunning. And the recipes look fantastic. I want to try all of them. They're very well explained, and the descriptions and details of the various spices and ingredients are so helpful.

[Eh?Eh! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us are fans of that Great British-Bake Off show. So of course we'd make our way to one of the resulting cookbooks. Chetna Makan was a delightful contestant and she also has a delightful Instagram account. If you watch the show, you'll recall she was noted for her skill with flavors. That comes through in her cookbook.

I love to eat cake but I'm no cake expert. I didn't realize there were all these different sponges and crap like that. I would just follow a recipe or mix a box. The Victoria sponge recipe in this book has made me realize how little I know! It's a very easy one-bowl batter that doesn't require beating egg whites or alternating dry&wet until barely mixed. It comes out light and fluffy, too! Why aren't all cakes made of Victoria sponge?

The coriander chicken parcels came out so tasty. Even my picky home eater stated they were magnificent (despite also complaining about the lingering smell of the fenugreek seeds in the house for the next couple days). Shut up and eat it!

Our cookbook club organizer then posted pictures of the potluck on Instagram and tagged Chetna, who responded to each one!!!! <3

[Darlis]

The Carrot and Banana Cake was quite good. A bit dense, but maybe I didn't get the egg whites quite right. Anyway, we all liked it.

The Mango and Passionfruit Baked Yogurt was quite good, too. Not that hard to make, but not really low calorie. Next time, instead of the food processor, I'll puree in the blender and add a bit of mango flavor Toriani. But I did like the texture of the tiny bits of mango in it. The hardest part was waiting for it too cool.

*****
I had to take it back to the library, but I think I'll try to get a hold of it again. There are just soo many recipes to try.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already made few cakes from this cookbook and each and everyone was a success!

As a huge fan of Indian cuisine I was really looking forward to this one, and I wasn't disappointed. There's an easy access, and huge variety, of everyday Indian food cookbooks, but so little in the department of desserts. Well, this one is a game changer!

All the recipes I've tried up to date (more than 6 at this stage) worked well and tasted amazing too (which is kind of the main thing, isn't it?). Recipes are clear, easy to follow and don't require complicated cooking/baking skills in order to succeed.

I love the fact that all the bakes weren't "too spicy", but that there is still a hint of something exotic and unusual in each and everyone of them (loved the rose cake, and coffee one is now one of my favorite!).

The book is full of Indian inspired desserts - both new ones as well as traditional ones. All in all it's a great cookbook, full of recipes that won't fail you and will introduce you to some great taste combos!

[Rachel Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love British Bake Off and particularly liked the creative ideas that Chetna Makan came up with on the show so I was delighted to see that she had a book coming out so I pre-ordered it. The book arrived today and it looks amazing. Very nicely laid out book, lots of lovely information about Chetna and for each of the recipes. I love Indian cooking and have lots of Indian cook books but this one is something new and very different, in a good way. It isn't often that I look through a cook book and want to try every single dish. Well done Chetna!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully different Indian cookbook

I loved Chetna in the Great British Bakeoff and her cookbook lives up to expectations. I cannot wait to try many of her recipes, being a keen fan of Indian food but also intrigued by the way she has combined British cuisine with Indian flavours and ingredients. The only thing I would have asked of this cookbook is more narrative. There was some but I would have liked more, that’s just my opinion. Overall a wonderful book and one to savour.

[Pixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't think I'd make most of these recipes. The Britishisms and the fact that the author's claim to fame seems to be that she was a tv show contestant didn't really do it for me. I feel guilty not giving it another star, but to me it was just okay. Maybe you'll like it better. She seems like a nice person.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some gorgeous creations here that I'd love to eat. The problem is that I didn't want to make any of them myself. Nice pictures, though I'd still love more. A slight issue with unattainable ingredients, but not surprising since she's based in the UK.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely lovely book with some actual innovative recipes which is rare for these days - definitely no style over substance here! Would recommend - esp the pear tartin

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely judge a book based on its cover...unless it has to do with food.

The cover of The Cardamon Trail: Chetna Bakes with Flavours of the East is what led me to pick it up from a library shelf. The fastest way to my stomach is through my eyes!

I didn't know Ms. Makan was a contestant on The Great British Baking Show until I read this. I began watching the show midway through its season last year and became instantly hooked, which may explain why ms. Makan's name is unfamiliar.

The photos are beautiful and the recipes are unique and inventive in that they employ exotic and less often used spices in both savory and sweet dishes. Some of the dishes she concocts I would never imagine using a particular spice in since I am not that familiar with Indian cuisine and flavors but the end result looks and sounds incredibly delicious. I doubt my end results would look at spectacular as hers!

Her dishes are not carb friendly and heavily caloric but they're not supposed to be. This book is fun and a good way to experiment and discover a new favorite dish or two!

The Cardamon Trail is a great book for any cook or baker looking for recipes to make that is out of their usual comfort zone.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Library checkout, no plans to make any of the recipes. Chetna has lovely spice and flavor combos.

However, this book design leaves things to be desired. First, my cookbook pet peeve, not every recipe has a photo. Some could benefit from step-by-step photos, and I understand why others aren’t pictured (they probably aren’t too photogenic, even though they probably taste great).

Second, and more importantly, whoever approved the design for the informative spice pages doesn’t make sense. The background for those pages is like a white/gray with marbling on it. So the text is cluttered and is pretty difficult to read.

Third, the organization by type of bake is fine, but I think the spice FAQ pages should have been at the beginning so you could preview the profiles and then see which recipes use that spice.

Anyway, this is way too many thoughts for a cookbook that I haven’t even used. But I did love watching Chetna on GBBO.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spotted this book at the library where I work, but I may purchase it. I loved Chetna on The Great British Baking Show, as it's known in the US. Her recipes are a delightful blend of East and West: European tarts made with traditionally Indian fillings like mangoes, or French macarons with pistachio, rose, and cardamom. I'm going to make her masala chai cake for a work party this week. I have a sweet tooth myself, but she offers plenty of savory options. She also identifies which recipes are gluten-free, which is helpful. Highly recommended for adventurous bakers.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every recipe in here sounds amazing! The photography is excellent- I wish there were photographs of every dish. All of these recipes are somewhat familiar, but with some twists in flavoring. Although I’m familiar with Chetna because of GBBO, this book isn’t all baked goods. And probably most helpful of all, the focus is on a handful of seasonings- each has a page highlighting its flavor, and listing the recipes in the book that feature it, which supports education/understanding spice profiles over memorizing recipes.

[Becca]

Each recipe looks absolutely amazing, and those I've tried have been spectacular. I recommend the pear & cardamom upside down cake & pavlova. The wraps are also good. I'm planning to try the chocolate, date, anise bread this week. I really like how she has a special info section for each spice and a way to reference recipes by their highlighted spice. Also, beautiful pictures. I am confident I could try everything in this book and enjoy it. I've had this on loan from the library for 6-7 weeks, but now I think I may need to purchase a copy for myself to keep!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chetna was one of my favorites on Great British Bake Off because of the interesting flavors she brought to her bakes. This book willl not disappoint her fans. I think the chapter on sweets is my favorite, but I will likely try some of the recipes in all of them.

I do wish there were pictures with all of her bakes. For non-British bakers some of the ingredients may be harder to find. Suggestions for replacements would have been helpful.

I will update this review once I have tried some of the recipes for myself.

[Sue Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Indian food as long as it isn't horribly hot and cardamom is my all time favorite spice; therefore, this is one of my favorite cookbooks now. Besides the wonderful sounding recipes it is full of beautiful colors pictures to drool on. So if you haven't tried Indian food, or for that matter cardamom, be brave and get this cookbook. You probably won't have all the spices in your cupboard but most grocery stores have them. If not, there is always the internet.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The food looks great and the pictures were mouthwateringly good. I was a bit thrown by the measurements as they’re in grams and I’m used to cups but I have a scale. I can be an adult. Haha. But I’m all seriousness this looks like a really put together cookbook and I look forward to trying many of the flavor combinations within someday. Some of them struck me as tasting light and airy instead of heavy and rich which will be a pleasant experience that I’m looking forward to.

[Iowa City Public Library]

From Anne:

"The Cardamom Trail by Chetna Makan brings the flavors of India to some Western favorites, but there are also wonderful Indian recipes as well. If you want to expand the flavor profiles in your baking, Makan’s recipes call for saffron, fennel, coriander, fenugreek, and tamarind. Use these spices to make buckwheat potato pakora and lemon challah with coconut paneer."

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully designed and photographed, with Chetna's creativity shining through in every recipe. The cakes, in particular, are gorgeous and delicious; some of the items later in the cookbook may prove to be too complicated or fiddly for most home cooks. Chetna also highlights eleven different spices throughout the book.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author lives in the UK and has participated in some of those UK bake off shows. Her recipes for the most part are English with a strong infusion of Indian flavours (had to add the u here!) and include recipes for savory as well as sweet pastries. Bakers may find this useful for increasing their repertoire.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting a book filled with recipes using ingredients only found in specialty shops, like many country-specific cookbooks I've read and been disappointed by, but Makan has kept things simple and accessible. With delicious-sounding recipes and plenty of mouth-watering photographs, I was very pleased with the book and am considering getting it for my collection.

[Seebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written. Very accessible. Each section includes background on commonly used ingredients, spices mostly, telling the reader how to get the best flavour from them. Haven't made any of the recipes yet, my star rating is based on the fact that I enjoyed reading it, loved the photos and have earmarked quite a few to try out in the future

[reveurdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of its kind that I've read. I'm someone who prefers fresh and raw ingredients over processed food any day, especially when it comes to desserts, so this book was ideal for someone like me. This cookbook is incredibly varied and refreshingly different from what I'm used to in the kind of recipes it contains. Highly recommended!

[Linda Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed with a lot of recipes from desserts, breads, main courses, and sides. Each recipe makes use of flavorful spices like cardamom, cumin, turmeric, etc. I think it's a great cookbook to own.

[Emma Birrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes and interesting information

Some really yummy recipes together with a wealth of information about spices. Clear instructions and very readable as well. Recommend to anyone interested in cooking with spices

[Jennie Rigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous photography and sumptuous-looking recipes, and some interesting notes on various spices too. Looking forward to trying some of the recipes in this book.

[Janet Lasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

well I do wish I ate more sugar :)

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. All the recipes I tried from this book are unique and perfect. Not your usual cake book, I highly recommend it.

[Alena]

Bookmarked a handful of things, we‘ll see if anything ever comes of it.

[LS kitchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful photography and unique, delicious recipes.