C For Chhanar Dalna (Cottage cheese cubes in gravy)

 We took our first break(Sunday) for this month Mega Blogging Marathon. Now we are going to start our marathon from today with the next letter in Alphabets that is the third letter C.  When I was searching recipes for this, came to know some interesting vegetable names start with this letter in Bengali. Chalkumro (Ash gourd), Chiching (snake gourd) and Chhana (cottage cheese, paneer). But I wanted to do a very popular and favorite recipe, so I stick to do some thing with chhana. Again in a confusion what to make Chhanar payesh or Chhanar dalna, but hubby's vote goes to Chhanar dalna so for C it is CHHANAR DALNA.
                                                Chhana is nothing different but paneer in Bengali. The only difference between chhana and paneer is, chhana is a bit more moist then paneer. Chhana is mostly used for making sweets and freshly made for those sweets like Rasgollas, Rasmalai, Sondesh, Chhanar jalebi, Chanar payesh, Pantua. For making chhana mostly they use cow's milk and some say even buffalo milk works well then cow's milk but that is a personal choice. With this chhana two side dish are very popular in Bengali cuisine. One is chhanar dalna and the second one is chhanar kalia. Both are almost same recipes. For chhanar kalia they make chhanar balls and deep fry them in hot oil and then drop them in to a gravy,
                                                                         

                                                                       For chhanar dalna they tie chhana in a cheesecloth to remove the extra wheywater and make it firm then cut in to pieces or in to circles and then shallow fry in ghee till golden. Now today's cooking style is well known as dalna. Dalna is mixed vegetables or eggs cooked in a thick gravy with ground spices like garam masala and final touch with a spoon of ghee. So try to use home made chhana for this dish if not possible you can use store brought paneer also...
                                                              Other then chhana you can make this dalna with lentil cake pieces which is called Dhokar dalna will post the recipe soon 
Recipe source ---  Samdeepa
INGREDIENTS:---
Chhana  ---   250 grams Cut in to cubes are small circles
Potato  ---  2 big diced
Tomato   ---  2 chopped
Green chillies  ---  3 crushed
Ginger  ---  2 tab sp freshly grated
Oil   -----  2 tab sp
Ghee  --- 1/2 tea sp
Salt to taste
Sugar  --- 2 tea sp
Bay leaves  ---  2
Cardamom  --  2
Cloves  --  2
Cumin seeds  --- 3/4 tea sp
Dry red chillies  -- 2
Cumin powder  --- 1 tea sp
Coriander powder  -- 1/2 tea sp
Red chilli powder  --- 1/2 tea sp
turmeric powder  --  1/4 tea sp
Garam masala  ---  1/4 tea sp optional
METHOD:----
1. Heat one tab sp oil in a pan and fry chhana pieces sprinkle with little turmeric powder and fry till they turn in to nice golden color, remove and set a side.
2. Add the other one tab sp oil to the same pan and add cloves, cardamom, cuminseeds, dry red chillies, bay leaf let them splutter then add potato pieces, sprinkle little salt and turmeric give a good stir and fry till they turn in to pale golden.
3. Make a paste with chopped tomatoes in a blender and add this tomato paste along with grated ginger and cook till raw smell is gone.
4. Now cook this masala till oil separates  from the masala.
5. Now take cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, remaining turmeric powder in a small bowl and add little water make a paste add this paste to the pan and fry for five minutes or till oil comes out on the surface by the time the masala will turn in to deep red color.
6. Add fried chhana cubes and mix very gently to combine every ting well, add 1 cup warm water check the salt and adjust  and add salt to taste cover with lid and cook till potatoes are done.
7. Remove and add sugar mix gently so that chhana peaces won't break, so take care when you mix the Chhanar Dalna.
8. Add ghee and garam masala powder(optional) cover and switch off the heat, let it sit like that till you serve.
Serve hot with plain rice or roti......

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