Article content Chetna’s 30 Minute Indian is Great British Bake Off alum Chetna Makan’s fifth cookbook. Photo by Mitchell Beazley CRISPY PANEER CUBES Soon after the show, I started work on my first book which is all about Indian flavours in some very western bakes. The book is called ‘The Cardamom Trail’and was published in 2016. This is a delicious hearty dal recipe with some added goodness of spinach and depth with lovely garlic. Enjoy it as a soup or with some piping hot rice. Meanwhile prepare the rice by filling a pan halfway with water, add 4 cardamom pods, a pinch of saffron, and basmati rice. Cook until 70% done and then drain.

Heat a frying pan, add the flour and toast over a low heat for about 2 minutes until it starts to change colour, stirring constantly. Step 2 Add the tomatoes and ½ tsp salt. Stir through and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes have softened. After having my 2 children I found my interest in baking grow, it was a perfect way for me to relax and found it very relaxing. I am a creative yet meticulous baker and find baking a perfect outlet for my creativity.Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and urad dal and cook over a low heat for a minute. Then add the curry leaves and chillies and cook for a few seconds. Using the scales, add 400g/ml boiling water and use the simmering basket instead of the measuring cup to cover. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Then stir in the coconut and cook for five minutes. Put the toasted flour into a bowl with the yogurt, salt and spices and mix together well. Add the paneer cubes and gently turn in the marinade until well coated. Step 3

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. Add the potatoes and make sure they are fully submerged in the curry. Cover again and cook for another 20 minutes. I am using the stunning THERMOMIX for this recipe. You can book a free demo with the team at any time. This can also be made in a pan in the same way.

Method

Add 5 tbsp of oil to a hot pan. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden. Heat enough oil for shallow-frying in a frying pan. Carefully add the paneer to the hot oil and cook over a medium to high heat for 1–2 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crispy. Serve warm with Coriander Peanut Chutney (recipe follows).

Top Tip – The curry is now complete however, if you can let it rest for at least 30 minutes, the curry will be even more delicious. In a small pan, add the sesame seed oil and heat until it becomes smokey. Pour this onto the spices and mix well.Add the onions and cook for 8 minutes until golden. Once the onion begins to soften, add the garlic and ginger. I was born and brought up in a small town in Central India called Jabalpur. I then moved to Mumbai to train as a Fashion Designer in NIFT. After my college, I worked in Mumbai for a few years before moving to the U.K. in 2004. I have always been interested in food and cooking and have been greatly inspired by my mum’s cooking who has taught me everything I know about flavours. This is a very well-known dish but isn’t, in fact, traditionally Indian – it was invented in the UK but still equally delicious! For the paneer, mix the yogurt, tandoori masala and salt together in a bowl. Add the paneer cubes and gently turn in the marinade until well coated. Set aside while you start to prepare the masala.