Chhanar Dalna / Cottage Cheese Curry

Chhanar Dalna is a very popular Bengali recipe. This is a little sweetish thick gravy and is often cooked on days of fasts and pujas since this recipe is a purely vegetarian one with not even onion or garlic added to it. However, don’t let this dissuade you — the taste is a burst of flavours, albeit on a sweetish side. This is often served to treat vegetarian guests and also makes way in ceremonial cooking. The mild yet flavourful concoction is often a hit with children too.

 

Ingredients

  • Paneer/Cottage Cheese – 250gm
  • Potatoes – 200gm
  • Onions – 200gm
  • Tomatoes – 100gm
  • Turmeric – 1 tsp
  • Ginger – 25 gm
  • Garlic – 6 cloves
  • Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp
  • Coriander (Dhania) powder – 1 tsp
  • Cumin powder – 1 tsp
  • Garam Masala (small Cardamom & Cinnamon only) – 2 tsp
  • Green chillies – 2
  • Cooking oil – 2 Cups
  • Cumin Seeds – 2 tsp
  • Bay Leaves – 4
  • Cloves – 4
  • Raisins – 25 gm (Optional)
  • Ghee (Unclarified Butter) – 1 tsp
  • Flour – 4 Tbsp
  • Salt

Tips: If you are in a rush, you may get paneer, chop into cubes, soak in warm salt water for a couple of minutes and use that instead of making the cottage cheese balls. In that case, remember to add some raisins to the gravy to add to the sweetish effect.

 

Preparation:

  • To make cottage cheese, add rennet or lemon juice to boiling milk. Gather and hang the curdled milk in cheesecloth to make the cheese. (Alternately store bought paneer can be used.)
  • Take the cottage cheese or paneer and crumble and knead into a fine dough.
  • Add to this dough the flour for binding (add small quantity and knead and add more as and when required to make the dough firm), the ginger paste, turmeric powder (a pinch), red chilly powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder.
  • Mix and knead well. Raisins are optional and can be added if desired.
  • Divide the mixture into small portions. Roll each portion in your palm, and then flatten to form small discs.
  • Deep fry till golden on each side and set aside.
  • Peel and dice the potatoes into medium sized pieces.
  • Smear the potatoes with salt and turmeric.
  • Heat cooking oil in a vessel. Partially cook the potatoes by sauteing them till they turn golden. Remove from heat.
  • To the oil in the pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaves. Add the potatoes back in.
  • Add a little more ginger paste and saute well.
  • Make a paste with a little water using the following — the red chilly powder, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, sugar and salt.
  • Add to the potatoes and coat evenly.
  • Stir and cook till an aroma emanates. Then add a little amount of warm water to make a thick gravy.
  • Add the fried paneer/cottage cheese roundels.
  • Cook on medium-low heat till the potatoes are done, and the paneer soaks the flavours.
  • Turn over carefully to ensure that the cottage cheese balls do not crumble.
  • Remove from heat; cover and allow some standing time.
  • Serve with hot rice.