Chanar kalia | Chanar kalia bengali recipe | Bengali cottage cheese curry

Chanar kalia aka chanar kalia Bengali recipe is a classic Bengali veg recipe which is vastly popular among Bengalis. It is rich, flavoured, spicy and luscious Bengali cottage cheese curry which is mostly prepared on some special occasions. In this recipe, subtle fried chanar balls or Indian Cottage Cheese balls are dunked in spicy onion-tomato gravy. It is a versatile dish and can be relished with rice items like Plain rice, Basanti Pulao or with flat breads like rotis, parathas or phulko luchi.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cottage Cheese
How to make Chanar kalia (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Bengali veg recipes have always attracted me since my childhood. My mom is a fantastic cook. She has a huge range of her own signature Bengali veg recipes which she prepares at least once in a week for meatless days. I have grown up eating those authentic dishes like Potol Posto, Aloo Posto, Chanar Dalna, Chanar korma, Lau ghonto, Mocha ghonto, Dhokar dalna etc.

Though chanar kalia is a niramish recipe but in Bengali customs, onion, garlic and masoor dal are considered as non-vegetarian items on niramish days. In chanar kalia Bengali recipe, the gravy is prepared using onion and garlic. So, it is not considered as pure veg for puja days. In bengali houses, Chanar kalia is mostly prepared in some special occasions like birthday, anniversary, noboborsho or for any get together.

Chanar kalia is a simple recipe and the difficulty level of preparing this dish is moderate. The main time-consuming part in this recipe is to prepare chena at home. It cannot be replaced by market bought paneer. The consistency of the gravy is thick. All the ingredients required to prepare the dish are very common and easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. Chanar kalia is a pure Bengali delicacy and you will get the essence of Bengal in it. But many people get confused between chanar kalia and chanar dalna.

Chanar dalna is a lite and comforting cottage cheese curry. On the other hand, chanar kalia is a rich, spicy, and flavoured curry with moderately thick gravy.

Chanar dalna is a no onion no garlic recipe and chanar kalia is prepared using onion-garlic.

Chanar dalna is cooked with potato chunks and in chanar kalia, potatoes are not added.

Chanar dalna is one of the most frequently prepared Bengali veg recipe in Bengali houses and chanar kalia is mostly prepared in some special occasions.

Don’t get confused between chanar kalia and paneer kofta as well. Chanar kalia is only prepared with chenna and it cannot be replaced with paneer. The texture of chanar kalia balls and paneer kofta are completely different from each other in respect of taste, texture and flavour.

Chanar kalia recipe with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the Bengali veg recipe and Cottage cheese.

• Cottage cheese is very rich in Protein.
• It is high in Calcium which helps to strengthens our teeth and bones.
• It helps to control sugar level for diabetic patients.
• Chhena is healthy for heart patients too.
• The nutrients of it helps to improve digestion.
• It contains good amount of folate which is an important component for red cell production.

For the Chanar dalna recipe, first curdle the milk. I have used lemon juice to curdle the milk. You can even use vinegar or yogurt for the same. After curdling the milk, strain the Chana and squeezed out the excess water from it.

To prepare the Chanar bora, add a small amount of all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, garam masala powder, ghee in Chana (Chhena) and make round balls of it. Addition of all-purpose flour reduces the risk of breaking the Chanar Bora in gravy.

Then take a pan and add enough oil to deep fry the chenna balls. Fry them till golden brown. In this step, you need to be very careful because the Chanar Boras (Cottage Cheese balls) are very delicate and if you handle it roughly then it may break.

After frying the Cottage Cheese Nuggets, the oil gets induced with very good aroma. So, Chanar Kalia must be cooked in this oil to get the original flavour of the curry.

On the other hand, add onion chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.

Then make a seperate paste of ginger and garlic by grinding them in mixer grinder. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.

Add tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.

Soak 10-12 cashew nuts in hot water for 10 minutes then transfer them into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.

For kalia preparation, gravy should be thick and smooth. So, it is very important to make paste of the above-mentioned ingredients before cooking. Each of these ingredients are added at different stages of cooking. Hence, it is always better to make separate paste of each ingredients rather than making paste of all the ingredients together.

Take a separate pan and add 2 tablespoons of previous used oil, I mean the oil which was used to fry the chenna balls. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (Clarified butter) into the pan and allow it to melt.

Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and let them crackle. Then add onion paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Put the flame in low initially because the paste may splatter. Then put the flame in medium high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.

Add ginger-garlic paste into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and give a nice mix. Add 2 tablespoons of water into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.

Add tomato paste into the masala and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in between.

Add green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cook the masala in low flame for a minute.

Add whipped yogurt into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it over lowest flame for 2 minutes.

Then add the cashew paste into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes. Cashew paste may stick to the bottom if you cook it in high flame.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for 2 more minutes.

Add water into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling. Take off the lid of the pan and put the flame in low. Add sugar, Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice stir.

Add the fried chenna balls into the pan and give a gentle stir. Cover the pan and allow the chenna balls to simmer into the gravy for 5-6 minutes. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

Many Bengali veg recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check few of them like

Chanar Korma
Aloo Posto
Shorshe Begun

..And Many more…

• 1¼ litre full fat Milk
• 1 Lemon
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
• ½ teaspoon Clarified butter (Ghee)
• ½ cup Oil to deep fry

• 1 large Onion, paste
• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
• 1-inch Ginger, for paste
• 2 green Chillies
• 10-12 Cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, whipped
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 4 Cardamoms
• 4 Cloves
• 1-inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder
• 2 teaspoon Sugar, as per taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups Water for gravy
• 1 tablespoon clarified Butter (Ghee), to cook the gravy
• 2 tablespoons Oil, to cook the gravy

1. Take a heavy bottom pan and add 1¼ litre milk into it. Put the flame in medium high and let the milk boil. Once the milk starts boiling, put the flame in lowest immediately.
   Tip: While boiling the milk, put the flame in medium and stir occasionally. Otherwise, the milk will stick to the bottom of the pan and a burning smell will get induced into the milk.
2. On the other side, cut the Lemon into two pieces. Squeeze out the lemon juice into the milk with the help of a lemon squeezer. Stir it slowly for 2 minutes in lowest flame and let the milk curdle. While the water gets separated from the curdled milk, switch off the flame.
3. Take a large mixing bowl and set a sieve on it. Place a muslin cloth on the sieve. Pour the curdled milk into the muslin cloth lined strainer. Strain the water of the curdled milk with the help of a Muslin cloth.
4. Tie the cottage cheese tightly. Press the Chhena and squeeze out the extra water but don’t over squeeze it or else the chhena will become dry. We need soft chenna for the recipe. You don’t need to hang it or put weight on it while preparing Chanar kalia.
5. Transfer the Cottage cheese or chenna on a plate and crumble it with fingers.
6. Add 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon ghee, one by one into the chenna and mix it nicely with the help of your hand.
7. Divide the mixture into small equal portions. I have divided into 14 portions. Then take each portion of the mixture in your hand and make medium size balls by rolling it in between your palms.
8. Add ½ cup any flavourless oil into a pan to deep fry the chanar bora (Cottage cheese nuggets).
9. Once the Oil is hot, add the chenna balls into oil and fry them evenly over medium flame for around 1-2 minutes till golden brown in colour. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the chenna balls may break. Take the chenna balls out on a plate and keep them aside.
10. On the other hand, add onion chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
11. Add garlic cloves, peeled and diced ginger into the jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.
12. Add tomato chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
13. Soak 10-12 cashew nuts in hot water for 10 minutes. Then transfer them into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
14. Take a separate pan and add 2 tablespoons of the previous used oil which was used to fry the chenna balls. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (Clarified butter) into the pan and allow it to melt.
15. Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and let them crackle.
16. Put the flame in low and add onion paste (Step 10) into the pan and give a nice stir. Initially, the paste may splatter. Then put the flame in medium high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.
17. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 11) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
18. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and give a nice mix.
19. Add 2 tablespoons of water into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.
20. Add tomato paste into the masala and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in between.
21. Add green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cook the masala in low flame for a minute.
22. Add whipped yogurt into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it over lowest flame for 2 minutes.
23. Add the cashew paste into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes. Cashew paste may stick to the bottom if you cook it in high flame.
24. Add ¾ teaspoon cumin powder, ¾ teaspoon coriander powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on lowest flame for 2 more minutes.
25. Add 2 cups water into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling.
26. Take off the lid of the pan and put the flame in low. Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice stir.
27. Add the fried chenna balls (Step 9) into the pan and give a gentle stir. Cover the pan and allow the chenna balls to simmer into the gravy for 5-6 minutes in low flame.
28. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

Transfer the Chanar Kalia into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste of it. Relish the authentic Bengali veg recipe with steamed Basmati rice or flat bread and enjoy your meal.

Chanar kalia | Chanar kalia bengali recipe | Bengali cottage cheese curry

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes (including Chenna preparation) 45 Minutes (including Chenna preparation)

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

For Chanar Bora (Cottage Cheese balls)

• 1¼ litre full fat Milk
• 1 Lemon
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Garam masala
• ½ teaspoon Clarified butter (Ghee)
• ½ cup Oil to deep fry

For Kalia (Gravy)

• 1 large Onion, paste
• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, for paste
• inch Ginger, for paste
• 2 green Chillies
• 10-12 Cashew nuts
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, whipped
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 4 Cardamoms
• 4 Cloves
• inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ¾ teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder
• 2 teaspoon Sugar, as per taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups Water for gravy
• 1 tablespoon clarified Butter (Ghee), to cook the gravy
• 2 tablespoons Oil, to cook the gravy

Instructions

1. Take a heavy bottom pan and add 1¼ litre milk into it. Put the flame in medium high and let the milk boil. Once the milk starts boiling, put the flame in lowest immediately.

Tip: While boiling the milk, put the flame in medium and stir occasionally. Otherwise, the milk will stick to the bottom of the pan and a burning smell will get induced into the milk.

2. On the other side, cut the Lemon into two pieces. Squeeze out the lemon juice into the milk with the help of a lemon squeezer. Stir it slowly for 2 minutes in lowest flame and let the milk curdle. While the water gets separated from the curdled milk, switch off the flame.
3. Take a large mixing bowl and set a sieve on it. Place a muslin cloth on the sieve. Pour the curdled milk into the muslin cloth lined strainer. Strain the water of the curdled milk with the help of a Muslin cloth.
4. Tie the cottage cheese tightly. Press the Chhena and squeeze out the extra water but don’t over squeeze it or else the chhena will become dry. We need soft chenna for the recipe. You don’t need to hang it or put weight on it while preparing Chanar kalia.
5. Transfer the Cottage cheese or chenna on a plate and crumble it with fingers.
6. Add 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon ghee, one by one into the chenna and mix it nicely with the help of your hand.
7. Divide the mixture into small equal portions. I have divided into 14 portions. Then take each portion of the mixture in your hand and make medium size balls by rolling it in between your palms.
8. Add ½ cup any flavourless oil into a pan to deep fry the chanar bora (Cottage cheese nuggets).
9. Once the Oil is hot, add the chenna balls into oil and fry them evenly over medium flame for around 1-2 minutes till golden brown in colour. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the chenna balls may break. Take the chenna balls out on a plate and keep them aside.
10. On the other hand, add onion chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
11. Add garlic cloves, peeled and diced ginger into the jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add water if required during the time of preparing paste and keep it aside.
12. Add tomato chunks into a jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
13. Soak 10-12 cashew nuts in hot water for 10 minutes. Then transfer them into the jar of a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Keep it aside.
14. Take a separate pan and add 2 tablespoons of the previous used oil which was used to fry the chenna balls. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (Clarified butter) into the pan and allow it to melt.
15. Once the oil is hot, add cinnamon stick, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf, cumin seeds and let them crackle.
16. Put the flame in low and add onion paste (Step 10) into the pan and give a nice stir. Initially, the paste may splatter. Then put the flame in medium high and cook the onion paste for 7-8 minutes. Stir frequently in between.
17. Add ginger-garlic paste (Step 11) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
18. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and give a nice mix.
19. Add 2 tablespoons of water into the pan and cook the masala properly on medium flame until the sides get separated. For me, it took around 2 minutes to cook the masala.
20. Add tomato paste into the masala and give a nice mix. Cook the masala over medium flame for another 4-5 minutes. Stir in between.
21. Add green chillies into the pan and mix it. Cook the masala in low flame for a minute.
22. Add whipped yogurt into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it over lowest flame for 2 minutes.
23. Add the cashew paste into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes. Cashew paste may stick to the bottom if you cook it in high flame.
24. Add ¾ teaspoon cumin powder, ¾ teaspoon coriander powder and give a nice mix. Cook it on lowest flame for 2 more minutes.
25. Add 2 cups water into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy starts boiling.
26. Take off the lid of the pan and put the flame in low. Add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice stir.
27. Add the fried chenna balls (Step 9) into the pan and give a gentle stir. Cover the pan and allow the chenna balls to simmer into the gravy for 5-6 minutes in low flame.
28. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.