Feeding Others? Chetna Makan Says: Cook For Yourself First
I’m starting with this tandoori-style chicken recipe.
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When coming up with another dinner idea feels, quite frankly, impossible, sometimes a shift in seasons kicks in to help you out. Talking with Chetna Makan about her love for summer grilling did the trick for me.
Chetna’s excited about sweet corn and eggplants and zucchini—same—and on this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan, she shared the ways that she repurposes a mountain of grilled vegetables during the week. It’s an important reminder to fill the grill when you can, and use it to prep both proteins and veg that you can stir into salads or rice or pile into sandwiches later.
I talked to Chetna about her ideal cookout menu, which includes a spatchcocked tandoori chicken flavored like the recipe that’s reprinted below, plus bright, hearty salads and the flatbreads she cooks on the barbecue while the chicken rests. (Yes, it’s a good thing that they pick up a little of the marinade’s flavor on the grates.)
Chetna’s had a long career in food and has written numerous cookbooks since her Great British Bake-Off days, but her latest, a collection of 75 signature Indian recipes, is a great place to start if you’re new to her work.
When asked about how she stays inspired in the kitchen, Chetna doesn’t hesitate: “I think one of the biggest things, which might sound really silly, but I don’t cook anything I don’t like to eat.”
While she loves to feed both family and friends, she says, “even then, I cook things that I like to eat because while I’m cooking, I can imagine the flavors and I’m thinking, this is going to taste lovely when I sit down to eat it.”
Consider this permission to pick your favorites, to follow your cravings into the kitchen. I’ll be starting with the recipes below.
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Chetna mentioned:
Tadka dal
Bhatura and chole
Puri Alu video
Vegetable pulao
Coriander chutney
Spinach Coconut Dal (from Chetna’s Healthy Indian, reprinted in The National Post)
Diaspora Co. spices
Chetna Makan’s Easy Indian Vegetarian (Bookshop here)
Sami Tamimi’s Falastin (Bookshop here)
Gurdeep Loyal’s Mother Tongue (Bookshop here)
Edd Kimber’s Patisserie Made Simple (Bookshop here)
Chetna’s Naan recipe
Paratha filling ideas and method video
Mango coconut cake
Walnut, Coffee, and Chocolate loaf cake
Stunning Summer Pavlova
Chaat Chickpea Salad video
Courgette (Zucchini) Kofta Curry (from Chetna’s Healthy Indian: Vegetarian, reprinted by Delicious Magazine)
In case you’re in the US following her broccoli advice: baking at 200C should convert to about 395 Fahrenheit.
Chetna’s Dahi Chole / Yogurt Chickpea Curry on Youtube
Chapatis
Food With Chetna on Youtube
Maggie mentioned:
Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal (Bookshop here)
Meera Sodha’s noodle salad with mango and tomato appears in Dinner; see more from Meera here.
Sami Tamimi’s new book, Boustany (Bookshop here)
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Whole Tandoori-Style Chicken
Excerpted with permission from Classic Indian Recipes by Chetna Makan, published by Hamlyn, 2025.
I have tried and tested this famous dish with various spices over the years and have found this version works perfectly every time. It’s cooked in a regular oven rather than a tandoor, but it also works well on the barbecue, which lends the dish an extra smoky flavour. If you prefer, use small cuts of chicken, such as drumsticks or thighs, instead of the whole bird. This dish is great served with salad or pulao.
SERVES 3–4
1 whole chicken, around 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz)
For the first marinade:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inches) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 tablespoons lemon juice
For the second marinade:
200 ml (7 fl oz) plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons tandoori masala powder
1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard oil
40 g (1½ oz) fresh cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped
Combine the ingredients for the first marinade in a small bowl and mix well. Rub this all over the chicken, then cover and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Put all the ingredients for the second marinade, except the fresh cilantro, into another bowl and mix well. Once combined, stir in the fresh cilantro. Rub this mixture under the skin of the chicken, then rub the remainder inside the cavity. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350ºF), Gas Mark 4. Put the chicken into a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, which will give you a perfect tandoori chicken. To check it is done, pierce the thigh with a skewer—the juices should run clear. If not, continue roasting until they do.
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Aubergine and Potato Rice
Excerpted with permission from Classic Indian Recipes by Chetna Makan, published by Hamlyn, 2025.
When you’ve got leftover rice in the refrigerator, this makes a fabulous one-pot meal that simply needs a dollop of raita to serve. In fact, it’s wonderful even without the rice! Feel free to eat the aubergine and potato mixture with chapatti or naan.
For the spice mix:
2 tablespoons urad dal
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon chana dal
1 cinnamon stick
2 dried red chillies
6 cloves
For the rice:
900 g (2 lb) cooked basmati rice or 300 g (10½ oz) uncooked rice
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 red onions, thinly sliced
1 potato, halved lengthways and cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) slices
1 large aubergine (eggplant), halved lengthways and cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) slices
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
If you have not already done so, boil the rice according to the packet instructions and drain if necessary.
To make the spice mix, put all the ingredients into a dry pan and toast on a low heat for 2 minutes, until they change colour. Leave to cool slightly, then grind to a powder using a small blender or a spice grinder.
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, when they begin to sizzle, add the onions and cook for 5–7 minutes, until they start to change colour. Mix in the potato, then cover and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes—the potato will start to soften but should not be cooked through yet.
Add the aubergine slices, stir well, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the potato and aubergine are fully cooked. Add your spice powder, plus the salt and turmeric, and cook over a low heat for 1 minute.
Finally, add the cooked rice and turn the heat to high. Stir until the rice and vegetables are well mixed and hot through, then serve.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. Reheat before serving.
Really appreciate this recipe, thank you!
can’t wait to listen to this one!