Go Back
Chanar Dalna served in aluminum pan topview
Print
5 from 5 votes

Bengali Style Chanar Dalna

Chanar dalna is a classic Bengali vegetarian side dishwhere homemade paneer balls are fried and cooked with potatoes in a lightly spiced gravy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Active Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Bengali
Keyword: No Onion No Garlic Recipes, Paneer Recipes
Yield: 4 people
Author: Amrita

Materials

  • 250 gms Homemade Chana (Paneer/Cottage Cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
  • 2 nos Potato, medium cut into 1 inch blocks
  • 1 no Tomato, small finely chopped
  • ¼ cup Green Peas fresh or frozen
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger Paste
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 no Bay Leaf
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar optional
  • 2 no Green Chilli
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup Mustard Oil use as required
  • 1 tableapoon Ghee (Clarified Butter)
  • ½ teaspoon Bhaja Masla

Instructions

  • Take the homemade chana on a plate and add all purpose flour and salt into the chana. Mix it properly and knead like dough.
  • Now make lemon size equal balls from the chana and flatten each ball using your palm.
  • Heat oil in a pan and fry the flattened chana balls till both sides turn golden brown. Take them out from the oil and keep them aside.
  • Add potato pieces in the remaining oil and fry them with salt and turmeric powder. After they turn golden and crisp, take them out on a plate.
  • In the remaining oil add bay leaf and cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
  • Next add chopped tomatoes and cook until the raw smell is gone.
  • Add little sugar to balance the sour taste. Also add the green peas and cover the pan with a lid.
  • Meanwhile, take the dry spices including turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt in a bowl and add little water to make a paste.
  • Now add ginger paste and green chilli into the pan and mix well.
  • Next add spice powder paste into it and combine well.
  • After that, add the fried potatoes and give a good mix. Cover the pan and cook under low flame for few minutes.
  • Now add water into the pan and allow it to boil. At this time check the seasoning.
  • Once the potatoes are cooked, simmer the flame and add the fried chana balls into the gravy.
  • After 5 minutes switch off the gas and add ghee and bhaja masla on top.

Notes

If you want to avoid all purpose flour in the chana balls, take the chana in a muslin cloth remove the excess water and put slight weight to get a little more solidified version. However, avoid squeezing out the water completely, other wise chana will turn in to paneer. Now cut the solidified version of chana into square pieces and fry them in oil. You can use these chana blocks and prepare the gluten free Bengali Chanar Dalna.