Chhanar Dalna Or Paneer/Cottage Cheese Balls In Gravy

Chhanar dalna.
Bengali style no onion garlic curry with homemade chhena or cottage cheese balls.
This delicious and aromatic curry can be served as a side dish with pulao, jeera rice, luchi or puri, paratha, roti or any type of bread.
You can use grated store bought paneer but homemade soft chhena or paneer taste best. Get the method of making homemade paneer or cottage cheese here.

You may like some more paneer or cottage cheese recipe on this blog.
1. Dal corn paneer pakoda

2. Kathal paneer kofta curry

3. Schezwan paneer

4. Italian flavoured paneer bhurji

5. Paneer gajar halwa

6. Methi paneer kofta in palak gravy

7. Cottage cheese or paneer capsicum stir fry

8. Paneer kala chana kofta curry

9. Paneer stuffed parwal mithai

10. Mint paneer kofta

11. Aloo paneer

12. Chhena kheer or chhanar paesh

13. Shahi paneer

14. Hariyali paneer butter masala

15. Paneer or cottage cheese croquette

16. Soya paneer lollipop

17. Chhanar jilipi

18. Sandesh

And many more sweet dishes.

This week’s 217 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is khali fridge or empty fridge suggested by very talented blogger Renu Agrawal dongre who blog at Cook with Renu. Visit her space for mouthwatering recipes from different cuisine. I have recently bookmarked her Whole Wheat Spinach Pizza Pinwheel to try.

Renu suggested that use your pantry ingredients like grains, rice , dals etc or what you cook when you run out of vegetables and fruits or you do not have tomato, onion etc. Okay when I don’t have tomato usually I use curd and whenever I don’t have any vegetables in my pantry I use the milk from my refrigerator and make fresh paneer or cottage cheese to make different types of curry or stir fry.
Today sharing Bengali style chhanar dalna or paneer balls in no onion garlic gravy. My mom usually made it on veg days. It can be made for offering or bhog prasad. You can also make it for party side dish.

Recipe

Paneer or cottage cheese – 1 cup heaped, crumbled

Ginger – 1 inch piece, grated

Green chilli – 1 finely chopped

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon +1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or to taste

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chilli – 3

Green cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Bay leaf – 2

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Hing or asafoetida – a pinch

Tomato – 2 medium, peeled and cubed

Or

Curd – 3 tablespooon

Refined flour or maida – 1 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Oil – 3 – 4 tablespoon

Green chilli – 2 slit

Water – 2 cup + 4 tablespoon

Method

1. Soak red chilli in 4 tablespoon water for 30 minutes.

2. Mash paneer or cottage cheese well in a plate. I have used homemade fresh paneer. Get the recipe here.

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon refined flour or maida. Knead well to make smooth.

4. Make equal sized small balls. Press gently with your palm. Make all the balls and keep aside.

5. Grind remaining grated ginger, tomato, green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Skip tomato if you are using curd.Make a smooth paste. You can use crushed green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in tempering but I like my gravy smooth so ground.

6. Blend dry red chilli with it’s water and keep aside. It will give a beautiful colour to the gravy. You can use kashmiri red chilli powder instead but I recommend to use it.

7. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the paneer or cottage cheese balls from both sides. And place on a paper towel.

8. Fry cubed potatoes till golden brown in the same oil and keep aside.
Add cumin seeds, hing or asafoetida and bay leaf in the oil.

9. When the cumin seeds starts to crackle add the ground paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and sugar. Also add well beaten curd if using.When it starts to dried up add blended dry red chilli. Saute till oil leaves the sides.

10. Now add fried potatoes and salt. Saute again for a minutes.
Add 2 cup water and slit green chilli. Cover the pan and cook till potatoes becomes soft.

11. Add fried paneer or cottage cheese balls. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes.

12. Add ghee or clarified butter and garam masala. Mix and remove from heat.

13. Garnish with chopped cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice or paratha, puri or any Indian bread.

Notes
1. You can add cashews, almond or melon seeds paste to make the gravy rich I didn’t.
2. Use red and green chilli according to your taste.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using the hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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