Chanar dalna – a bengali cottage cheese curry (with no garlic and onion)

Preparation time: only 10 minutes
Cooking time: only 35 minutes
Served in: 45 minutes
Served for: 4 people

Ingredients of Chanar Dalna
– 1-liter milk (full fat)
– 2 tablespoon of lemon juice

To Make Kofta or Chanar Balls
– 150 gm chana
– 1/2 tsp ginger paste
– 1 green chili paste
– Half a teaspoon of cumin powder
– One-fourth teaspoon of garam masala powder
– Half teaspoon of turmeric powder
– Approx a tablespoon of ghee or butter
– 1 1/2 tablespoon of flour or maida
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 8 tbsp oil for frying

For Making Chanar Dalna
– 10 chanar balls or kofta
– 1 fried big potato
– 1/2 medium tomato
– 3/4 tsp ginger paste
– 1 1/2 tbsp curd
– A green chili
– Half teaspoon of cumin powder
– Half teaspoon of coriander powder
– One-fourth teaspoon of chili powder
– A three-fourth teaspoon of sugar
– Half teaspoon of garam masala powder
– Two teaspoons of ghee
– Half teaspoon of cumin seeds
– 2 bay leaves or tej patta
– 1 pinch hing or asafoetida
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil

Chanar Dalna Recipe
How to make chanar balls or chanar kofta
– After souring a liter of skimmed milk with two tablespoons of lemon juice, we get 150 gms chana (here you can check my chenna recipe).
– Primarily, take the locally acquired or homemade chana in a bowl, include ginger-green chili paste, garam masala, and cumin powder, turmeric, and salt in it. Blend all fixings in this with the chana and knead properly to make a smooth dough out of this.
– Then include maida/flour and ghee with that smooth chana mixture. Again, work it well to blend flour and ghee appropriately with the mixture.
– After that, make small size balls with that chana mixture. Though the shape and size of this ball are up to you.
– Next step is to deep fry all the chanar kofta balls till it gets the pleasant golden-brown tone and deep fry the potato (split into 8 pieces) in that same oil.

Mesmerizing recipe of Chanar Dalna
– Pick a little blender and include half tomato, green chili, curd, and ginger paste in it and mix it well to make a good paste.
– Then take the same dish with 1/2 tablespoon of oil, put it on medium flame, make it hot, and firstly include bay leaves and cumin seeds to it. After ward, include a pinch of hing and sauté it well.
– Add the tomato-curd-ginger masala paste to the dish with coriander powder, cumin powder, and chili powder. And then blend it well.
– Then add salt and sugar to the masalas in the dish, blend it well. Furthermore, let it cook till it begins separating oil from its sides.
– Once the masalas are ready to release oil from the sides, including the deep-fried potatoes into it. Blend it well and then cook it for at least 1 or 2 minutes.
– Then include a cup of water in the mixture and again bring it to a boil. When the water starts to boil, at that point cover the container with a lid to consummately cook the potatoes in it.
– When the potatoes are properly cooked, the water will remain less in the dish. Thus, include more than 1 1/2 cup of water in the dish and let it boil.
– When the sauce begins boiling include 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala powder and 2 teaspoons of ghee to it. Now, let it again boil for at least 30 seconds.
– Then include the fried chanar balls in the sauce. Slow down the heat to its minimum. Now, cover the dish with a lid for at least 2-3 minutes.
– After 2-3 minutes, slowly saute the chana balls and cover the pan again. Now, slow down the heat for at least for a minute. And after that turn off the flame.
– Chanar dalna is all set to be served. Serve this yummy recipe with white pulao. tortilla, Basanti pulao, or even with plain jeera rice.

Useful Tips
– This chanar kofta swiftly sinks in the sauce and makes it dry, so the thickness of this sauce should not be very soupy.
– Sault must be added to the recipe as per your taste.