Indian food is among the tastiest and most aromatic in the world, thanks to its vibrant mix of warm spices and reliance on so many fresh herbs.
But it also has a reputation for being a labor-intensive cuisine because so many dishes require slow cooking or time-consuming techniques to build flavors. Others require a raft of spices and pounding of pastes.
“The Great British Bake Off” contestant and author Chetna Makan’s latest cookbook aims to make Indian food more accessible by making a wide array of recipes really easy.
In “Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian: Delicious Recipes Made Easy” (Hamlyn, $33), the Jabalpur native delivers more than 90 recipes for fish, chicken, rice and vegetarian dishes along with simple breads, sweet and tangy chutneys, crunchy snacks and sweets.
Here’s the hook: Not counting the occasional pinch of chili powder or spoonful of sugar, all require five or fewer ingredients. It’s proof that cooking a delicious Indian meal from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated or take hours in the kitchen!
To demonstrate just how easy it is to pull together a lovely meal in short order, I made a chicken dish that never fails to please; a single-ingredient bread; a spicy-tangy green chutney; and raita, a popular condiment made of thick yogurt mixed with grated raw cucumber. If you’re organized, the meal takes about a half hour, start to finish.
Indian spice blends traditionally are made with many different spices to create a variety of flavors and aromas, so they can be costly to make at home. Thankfully, they’re also easy to find prepackaged in any Indian market or on Amazon.
Roti Flatbread
Also known as atta, chapati flour is a finely milled whole wheat flour used to make soft, pliable Indian flatbreads like these classic rotis. For a homemade substitute, mix 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
Makes 12
- 10 1/2 ounces chapatti flour, plus extra for dusting
- 7 to 8 ounces of water
Put flour in a bowl and slowly add water (not all at once). You want to add a little and mix before adding more.
Once you have a nice soft dough, knead for 1 minute, then cover and let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This is key to getting nice, soft rotis.
Divide rested dough into 12 portions. (I made 8 portions.) Use a rolling pin to roll out each one on a floured work surface into a thin disc 6 or 7 inches in diameter.
Heat a frying pan until hot. Cook each roti on one side for a few seconds. Once you spot a few bubbles forming, turn it over. After a few seconds, turn it back over and press gently with a spatula—this will help it to puff up. Once it’s ready, brush with some ghee or melted butter, and serve.
Recipe from “Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian” by Chetna Makan
Coriander Chutney
This is a very popular chutney that goes well with any snack, dinner, or starter. It takes just a few seconds to blitz and keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I used jalapeño peppers for a gentler heat, but you can adjust it up (or down) to your preference.
Makes about 1 cup
- 1 ounce fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves and stalks
- 1/4 ounce fresh mint leaves
- Juice 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 green chiles, stems removed (and deseeded if desired)
In a food processor, blitz coriander, mint, lemon juice, yogurt, and chiles along with salt and sugar.
Don’t be tempted to add water to this—let it blitz with just the ingredients above to achieve the right consistency.
Recipe from “Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian” by Chetna Makan
Raita (Cucumber Yogurt)
This lovely cooling dish takes some of the heat out of spicy rice dishes and curries. I used a seedless English cucumber.
Makes about 2 cups
- 1 whole cucumber, grated
- 10 1/2 ounces plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 green chile, thinly sliced
Put the cucumber on a plate and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
In a bowl, mix yogurt with chili powder, sugar, and ground cumin.
Squeeze the excess water from the cucumber (I used a clean dish towel), add the flesh to the yogurt and mix well.
Sprinkle chile slices on top and serve.
Recipe fromo “Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian” by Chetna Makan
Yogurt Chicken
The shopping list for this entree is a little longer than the other recipes. But we’re not counting salt and chili powder as ingredients in this easy and familiar chicken dish, which is best served with warm roti or plain rice.
Tandoori masala spice mix is easy to find in any Indian grocery. To make it from scratch, mix 4 tablespoons coriander seeds, seeds from 8 green cardamom pods, 8 cloves, 3 tablespoons chaat masala, and 2 tablespoons chili powder.
Serves 4
- 9 ounces plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons tandoori masala spice mix
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces
- Oil, for frying
- 4 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste
Put yogurt in a bowl with salt, chili powder, and tandoori masala and mix well.
Add chicken pieces and turn to coat them well. Cover and leave to marinate for 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a large, deep frying pan, then add chopped onions. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply golden.
Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for 1 more minute, then add marinated chicken along with its marinade and mix well.
Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover pan and continue to cook over a high heat for 10 minutes.
Turn off heat and let it sit for a final 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe from “Chetna’s 5-Ingredient Indian” by Chetna Makan
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