The Cardamom Trail: Chetna Bakes with Flavours of the East

What a beautiful book! I knew about Chetna Makan from the Great British Bake Off. I was drawn to her bakes the entire time she was on the show. Her spices, her flavor combinations and the confidence behind her recipes captivated me. The stories that accompany the recipes in the book are delightful and make the food even more meaningful- and isn't that what cooking and sharing a meal is all about? Truly unique and adventuresome yet appealing to the familiar ingredients of my usual repertoire. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. So many of my favorite spices are included in these recipes but I've never found them all in one place! Although I've just started trying the recipes the ones I've tried are spectacular. Note: I'm a new baker but with an experienced pallet. While the spices were familiar some of the combinations were delightfully new to me. The pictures are gorgeous and helpful. Clear instructions. Most of the meat dishes look adaptable to vegetarian ( which I am). The rest of the recipes look intriguing, achievable and yummy! I can't wait to try them all! - Bradetta (aka the Gingham Altar Gal)

Chetna Makan was, famously, nearly the winner of a season of the Great British BakeOff. She made some appealing and unusual recipes, and the book is full of similar ones. If you are interested in spicing up your baking, this book will help you do so. There are a few too many not-quite-baking recipes for my preferences, but that's just me. I've made a couple of things that worked well, so the recipes themselves are reliable. You'll have to be able to translate a few British baking terms into US practice (make sure you have a scale that measures in grams). And you'll have to follow her shaping instructions carefully; they aren't always as clear as they could be. You'll also find yourself in an Indian grocery store buying a few unusual spices. But its worth it for the results and the fresh ideas.

Although I have 3 other books by Chetna, and loved them all, I was slow to buy this one because the cover left me with the impressions that it was a dessert-centric baking book. It definitely isn't. I was wowed as I poured over the wealth of imaginative savory baked goods and accompanying photos. Lots of photos! I confess that I just received the book today and haven't actually baked any of the recipes. These aren't your mother's baked goods, even if you were born in Asia! I will edit my review after I have tried a few.

This is a beautiful book. Even reading each recipe you can taste the wonderful flavors of each bake. If you don't bake often, you should learn the basics first, some recipes assume you have the experience. But if you bake a lot as I do, this book is like an adventure of flavors. In fact, because it takes the time to describe each spice in detail you can even use it for ideas to add a twist to soups. grains bowls, meat, fish, etc. A must have, and this is the millennial in me speaking, but the pictures are AMAZING! A must have in your cookbook library.

Most British bakers are all about sugar and white flour; Chetna adds a fabulous Indian twist that makes her goods exciting and flavorful. Very good information about how to use the various seasonings in other cooking as well. This is the best deal you will ever get for reasonable recipes (that can be prepared by any skill level baker) that are totally delicious!

I watched Chetna in the Brutus Bake Off series and became intrigued by her inspiring flavor combinations. I bought this for my Kindle as soon as I saw it was available. I think my family will be demanding her Cardamom Pear upside down cake again and again. I rarely make desserts and when I do I want a reliable outstanding recipe I can follow. Chetna succeeds in this. Bravo!

I bought this book after seeing it at a friend's house and falling in love with the recipes. They are beautiful, unique, and they have inspired me to see baking in a whole new way with a a whole new world of possibilities. Simply fantastic.

I love this book. I fell in love with Chetna from the only season of the Great British Baking Show on Netflix. I have seen every episode many time and was always intrigued by what Chetna was making. I would never be able to come up with the ideas and spice combinations. The ideas are great and the instructions are easy to follow. I have only made three things from this so far but have many more I want to make.