Chanar Dalna Recipe | Bengali Paneer Kofta Curry - Easy Paneer Recipes (2024)

One of the most popular Bengali Vegetarian recipes, this ছানার ডালনা রেসিপি Chanar Dalna is quite a common affair in a Bengali household. Jewel of Bengali food, this is a no-onion, no-garlic Niramish ranna recipe which uses chena or paneer koftas in a curry.

While growing up, planning easy healthy meals with paneer or chena wasn’t easy at all. I have always seen my dad getting skirmish with the mention of paneer, but this Paneer Kofta recipe would never put him off. Looking for easy weeknight dinners? Have you tried Bengali Paneer Kofta or Chanar Dalna recipe? You won’t regret it!

If you are looking for authentic Bengali cuisine, then this Bengali-style paneer kofta curry recipe is a classic example. While the North Indian counterpart enjoys rich and luscious gravy, this Bengali niramish chanar dalna recipe is completely vegetarian and gluten-free.Not to say, it’s an excellent dish if you are planning easy healthy meals.

A very common with Bengali vegetarian recipes, the gravy doesn’t include onion and garlic. Yes, you heard that right. That is the very essence of a ‘dalna‘. This is a tomato-ginger-cumin-based gravy that also has some potatoes in it.

Now, many of you also know this as chanar kofta recipe. Why kofta? Aren’t those meatballs? Yes, technically koftas mean meatballs made in Mughlai style and then dunked in creamy and rich gravy. So, this is a vegetarian counterpart of the same, made with cottage cheese or Indian-style fresh cheese made out of cow’s milk.

How to make Bengali homemade Chanar kofta? Plus, how to make koftas soft?

• This chanar recipe in Bengali cuisine is as simple as it could be. All you have to do is to boil milk and curdle it using any kind of acid, either lemon juice or vinegar. Once the protein separates, and you are left with clear whey, separate the cheese using a cheesecloth.
• For this easy paneer curry recipe, we need minimum moisture in the cheese, so hang the cheese to rid of the water. Once you have dry and crumbly cheese, use the recipe below to prepare the chanar kofta.
• The key step to follow to make the koftas soft is to knead the cheese or chana till it becomes smooth. It might take a couple of minutes extra but it would be so worth the effort.

ছানার ডালনা রেসিপি or Chanar Dalna – Another Bengali vegetarian recipe that is 100% Gluten-free and Vegetarian

Chanar Kofta recipe presents the beauty of minimalist cooking. Basically, recipes that use a handful of ingredients to give a lip-smacking dish. I often make the chanar koftas a day ahead and refrigerate them. The next day when I make the gravy base, I simply drop them in and let them soak up and plump.

I have done this a couple of times when I was expecting guests and needed to feed a crowd. Just make sure not to let them soak in the gravy for too long, or they will leave no gravy at all. Usually an hour before serving, I quickly dump them in and re-heat them once.

This Chanar kofta recipe has never failed me and has turned out superb each time. Except for lactose intolerant, rest everybody enjoys this dish equally. Don’t be surprised if you find meat lovers making a beeline for this!

Additionally, I am sharing a few more Paneer Recipes to help you plan easy weeknight dinners

• Grilled Tandoori Paneer Tikka Recipe
• Dry Paneer Manchurian Recipe
• Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe
• 5 Minutes Quick Paneer Curry Recipe
• Dhaba-style Paneer Butter Masala Recipe
• Badami Paneer Korma Recipe
• Spicy Paneer Pakoda | Cheese Fritters Recipe
• Honey Chilli Paneer [Video Recipe]

Have you tried this recipe?I would love to hear about it.
Tag me on Instagram@priyankabhattacharya.saor Facebook@hashdiariesand I will share it further.

So, here’s the recipe for Chanar Kofta Dalna or ছানার ডালনা রেসিপি

This post was first published on October 7, 2017, and later republished on February 29, 2024, with a more elaborate description of the recipe.