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.