Chetna Makan was born in Jabalpur, an ancient city in central India. She has a degree in fashion and worked in Mumbai as a fashion designer before moving to the UK in 2003. Chetna reached the semi-final of The Great British Bake Off in 2014, and her first book, The Cardamom Trail, is a celebration of baking with Indian flavors. She has a very popular YouTube channel 'Food with Chetna' where she shares her creative flair for food. Her other books, also published by Mitchell Beazley, include Chai, Chaat & Chutney, Chetna's Healthy Indian, and Chetna's Healthy Indian Vegetarian.