Kitchens to covet

Welcome to Chetna Makan’s light- lled, practical kitchen

I’m a food writer and author living in Broadstairs, a small seaside town in Kent. I arrived in this town by chance more than 16 years ago with my husband, and we’ve called it home ever since. I moved from the busy seaside city of Mumbai to this quiet town – and though it was strange to be in such a little place at first, I fell in love with it.

I now live here with my husband and two kids, Sia and Yuv. I’m very lucky to have a south-facing kitchen, which means I have light from the minute the sun comes out until the time it goes down. It’s a very modern kitchen with clean lines, but full of things that we use all the time as a family. It’s a proper family kitchen, and a space we all love to be in.

We moved into this house 11 years ago with two small babies, and one of the things that we fell in love with was the spacious kitchen. I love entertaining and cooking for the family, so this space was lovely for that. The kitchen wasn’t to my taste, so my husband and I discussed having a new one in a few years. It was my dream to have the kitchen-dining area extended into a big rectangular room – so two years ago we had the conservatory removed and my dream space created. However, the room still looked like it was in two parts; the new and the old. Finally, last year, I decided that it was time to update it and make the whole space feel like one.

Browsing Instagram, I found a London-based company called Sheraton Interiors. I visited the showroom, and as soon as I saw this particular kitchen, I knew it was the one. I like deep, dark and warm colours, so I chose anthracite units and white surfaces, and I added a couple of wooden shelves just to break up the design and add more warmth.

The team at Sheraton designed the kitchen and helped me choose the materials, including the Quooker taps, Dekton worktops and the beautiful sink. In spite of a couple of setbacks, we managed to get the whole thing finished in three weeks.

I particularly love my spice drawer as it’s made the whole cooking process so much easier. I also love the appliances I use, all of which are from NEFF – I have been using them for few years, so it all feels very comfortable. I use the open shelving to store all of the cookbooks I own and the main kitchen bits and pieces that I use every day, but also for shooting my YouTube videos. I cherish my cheap and lovely hand whisk, which is quite essential. And I also adore my little plates and bowls that I’ve collected over the years; some from India, some from charity shops and others handmade by friends.

I would definitely recommend having some sort of design in mind. It’s a big world of kitchens out there, and that can be confusing. But if you can do your research and decide what you want beforehand, then it can save you a lot of time. Once you’ve found it, stop! You can keep looking forever, making decisions more difficult, so it’s best to stop when you’re happy with it.

There are so many happy memories from my time in this kitchen. Many gatherings, celebrations and get-togethers. One of the most special has to be when my mum, dad and sister’s family all visited us one summer, and we cooked many meals together. That had to be the best summer in our home.

the kids often bring their arts and crafts or homework to the table, or read a book on the sofa – it’s the most used room in our house

this page Chetna’s well-organised spice rack has made her whole cooking experience much more enjoyable; her south-facing kitchen is the perfect spot for potted plants; open shelving puts everything on display as well as making it easily accessible opposite page Clean lines, contrasting light and dark shades characterise Chetna’s kitchen; her dining area is the ideal space for working and entertaining

Essential kitchen kit Good-quality pans. What’s always in your fridge? Milk, yogurt and butter. Is there a family dish you cook again and again? Many, but tadka dahl is something I make every week without fail. Give us one of your go-to recipes – maybe something you eat when you’re on your own On a normal day, when the kids are at school, I always make a masala omelette for my lunch. Just some golden fried onions, tomatoes, chillies and coriander whisked into eggs and cooked. Favourite O recipe I love the chicken shawarma by chef John Gregory-Smith. Favourite cookbook I love all my cookbooks, but I’m especially proud of Chai, Chaat & Chutney, as I’m a big street-food fan. Favourite restaurant Bottega Caruso in Margate. Reasons to be cheerful in 2021 My new book, Chetna’s 30-minute Indian, is out in June, and I’m very excited about that. I’m also hoping to be able to see my family at some point this year.