Chanar dalna recipe with step by step pics. Vegetarian Bengali cuisine has many delicacies. This chanar dalna is one of them. Basically its a complex flavoured delicious curry made with fresh paneer and potatoes. In the recipe the paneer and potatoes are fried first and then added to the gravy. This is also a no onion no garlic recipe and also called as Niramish chanar dalna.
About Chanar Dalna
Before I jump onto the other details, here’s giving you the literal meaning of the name of the dish:
Chanar – Chana is paneer or cottage cheese (the suffix -r/-er means ‘of’)
Dalna – Dalna is a Bengali style spiced gravy or curry
So, this is simply a rustic, flavorful slightly sweet and truly a Niramish Chanar Dalna with paneer, potatoes, green peas (optional), green chilies and the choicest of spices. As it is, cottage cheese and potato is a pair, in which each compliments the other extremely well, and makes for a delectable sabzi or curry.
To add more flavor and taste to the dalna, I have added some fresh green peas. Though peas can be skipped. The recipe is similar to the Aloo phulkopir dalna recipe I have shared earlier.
This recipe of chana dalna takes some more time as the paneer and potatoes are fried first. If you do not want to fry them, then add the potatoes to the gravy and cook them first. Once the gravy is done, then add paneer. Mix and switch off flame. You’ll be good to go!
The taste of this Bengali paneer and potato curry is very different from the North Indian Aloo paneer curry or Aloo matar paneer. The Bengali garam masala is one reason for its uniqueness. If you ask me, do give it a try because ‘variety does add spice to life!’
You can relish the Chanar Dalna hot or warm with bhaat (steamed rice), Luchi, poori or roti.
How to make Chanar Dalna
A) preparation:
1. In a dry grinder or coffee grinder take 2 green cardamoms, 2 inch cinnamon and 4 cloves. If using cassia cinnamon then use 1 inch of it.
2. Grind to a fine powder. You can also crush these spices in a mortar-pestle. Remove the masala and keep aside.
3. In the same grinder add 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies.
4. Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 tablespoon coriander powder.
5. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons of water and grind to a smooth paste. Do not add too much water as then the paste will splutter when frying it.
Frying paneer and potatoes
6. On a low to medium flame heat 3 tablespoons mustard oil in a kadai or pan and let it come to its smoking point.
Though I prefer mustard oil, but you can use any other oil. Reduce the flame and then add 1 large potato which have been chopped in small cubes.
7. Stir and begin to pan fry the potatoes.
8. Stir often when frying potatoes so that they get cooked evenly.
9. Fry till you see golden spots on the edges and the potatoes are almost cooked.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon. Place on kitchen paper towels to absorb extra oil.
11. In the same pan add 200 grams of paneer, which has been chopped into cubes.
12. Pan fry paneer on medium flame.
13. When one side is light golden, turn over each paneer and fry the second side. fry till the paneer pieces are light golden. Do not fry paneer for too long as then they become hard.
14. Remove the fried paneer cubes and keep them in lukewarm water. This helps the paneer to remain soft.
Making chanar dalna
15. Now in the same pan, some oil will be left. Add 1 small to medium tej patta and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
Saute till the cumin seeds crackle. If you want you can add 1 tablespoon more mustard oil.
16. Now add the ground ginger+green chili+spice powders paste. Be careful as the mixture can splutter.
17. Mix very well and saute this mixture on a low to medium flame. Sauté till you see oil releasing from the sides and the color of the masala has changed.
18. Now add ¾ cup of finely chopped tomatoes.
19. Stir and mix well.
20. Begin to sauté tomatoes on a medium-low to medium flame.
21. In case the tomatoes mixture looks dry, then sprinkle some water and continue to sauté.
22. Sauté till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see a bit of oil releasing from the sides.
23. Add ⅓ cup green peas. Also add salt as per taste. Adding green peas is optional.
24. Mix and sauté for a minute.
25. Next add ¾ to 1 cup water or add as required. The gravy is thick, so for more gravy you can add more water.
26. Mix very well.
27. Cover the pan with the lid and simmer on medium-low flame for 15 to 16 minutes or till the peas are cooked and tender.
28. Do check in between and if the curry looks dry then you can add some water.
29. Simmer till the green peas are cooked well.
30. Now add the fried potatoes.
31. Mix very well.
32. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as per taste.
33. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
34. The potatoes will be cooked by now.
35. Add the ground Bengali garam masala. Mix well and switch off the flame.
36. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ghee. Stir and mix again.
37. Now add the paneer cubes.
38. Mix again.
39. Serve chanar dalna hot or warm with poori, luchi or roti or bhaat (steamed rice).
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Chanar Dalna
Ingredients
for frying paneer and potatoes
- 3 tablespoons mustard oil
- 1 large potato – chopped in small cubes or 175 grams potatoes
- 200 grams Paneer – chopped in cubes
for bengali garam masala
- 2 inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
for masala paste
- 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chili
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water for grinding
for chanar dalna gravy
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 160 grams tomatoes or ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- salt as required
- ⅓ cup green peas – optional
- ¾ to 1 cup water or add as required
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as per taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Ghee (clarified butter)
Instructions
preparation for chanar dalna
- In a dry grinder or coffee grinder take 2 green cardamoms, 2 inch cinnamon and 4 cloves. If using cassia cinnamon then use 1 inch of it.
- Grind to a fine powder. You can also crush these spices in a mortar-pestle. Remove the masala and keep aside.
- In the same grinder add 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies.
- Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 tablespoon coriander powder.
- Add 3 to 4 teaspoons water and grind to a smooth paste. Do not add too much water as then the paste will splutter.
frying paneer and potatoes
- On a low to medium flame heat 3 tablespoons mustard oil in a kadai or pan and let it come to its smoking point.
- Reduce the flame and then add 1 large potato which have been chopped in small cubes.
- Stir and begin to pan fry the potatoes till you see golden spots on the edges and the potatoes are almost cooked.
- In the same pan add 200 grams paneer, which have been chopped in cubes. pan fry paneer on medium flame.
- When one side is light golden, turn over each paneer and fry the second side. Fry till the paneer pieces are light golden. Do not fry paneer for too long as then they become hard.
- Remove the fried paneer and keep in lukewarm water. This helps the paneer to remain soft.
making chanar dalna
- Now in the same pan, some oil will be left. Add 1 small to medium tej patta and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds crackle. If you want you can add 1 tablespoon more mustard oil.
- Now add the ground ginger+green chili+spice powders paste. Be careful as the paste can splutter.
- Mix very well and saute this mixture on a low to medium flame. Sauté till you see oil releasing from the sides and the color of the masala has changed.
- Now add ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Begin to sauté tomatoes on a medium-low to medium flame.
- In case the tomatoes mixture looks dry, then sprinkle some water and continue to sauté.
- Sauté till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see a bit of oil releasing from the sides.
- Add ⅓ cup green peas. Also add salt as per taste. Adding green peas is optional. mix and sauté for a minute.
- Next add ¾ to 1 cup water or add as required. The gravy is thick, so for more gravy you can add more water. mix very well.
- Cover pan with lid and simmer on medium-low flame for 15 to 16 minutes or till the peas are cooked and tender.
- Do check in between and if the curry looks dry then you can add some water.
- Simmer till the peas are cooked well.
- Now add the fried potatoes and mix very well.
- Add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as per taste.
- Cover pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. the potatoes will be cooked by now.
- Add the ground bengali garam masala. Mix well and switch off flame.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee and mix again.
- Now add the paneer cubes and mix again.
- Serve chanar dalna hot or warm with poori, luchi or roti.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Chanar Dalna post from the archives first published in March 2018 has been republished and updated on January 2023.
Awesome recipe. Honestly I was a little apprehensive thinking about the usage of mustard oil in the recipe. But I must say it proved to be quite palatable.
thanks bhavya for sharing the feedback. mustard oil is the only oil which is best suited in this recipe and some more bengali and north indian recipes. you can even try using mustard oil when making a simple sabji and see the difference. it really tastes good in a sabji or curry.
Hi Dassana my mom uses mustard oil in some of the subzis made for a regular meal. But a paneer recipe in mustard oil was something new to even my mom????
So thanks again for the yummy recipe.
thanks for letting me know bhavya. welcome.