Name: Paneer'er Dalna
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian

Yields

Cooking Time

45 minutes

Ingredients

‍400 g paneer
‍150 g potatoes
‍30 g peas
40 g capsicum
15 g mustard oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 pcs cardamom
1 pc cinnamon
3 pcs cloves
2 pcs dried red chillies
3 pcs bay leaves
40 g ginger paste
4 g turmeric powder (plus ¼ tsp for marinating)
‍2 g kashmiri red chilli powder
4 g cumin powder
100 g water
‍50 g yoghurt
11 g salt (plus ¼ tsp for marinating)
16 g sugar
4 pcs green chillies (slit)
250 g hot water
6 g ghee
¼ tsp gorom moshla
vegetable oil for frying paneer

Paneer is a late entrant to the Bengali food scene; Bengal is more fond of chhana (chena). This paneer'er dalna is infused with the flavours of ginger, cumin, garam masala and ghee. Fresh cubes of homemade paneer are shallow-fried and then added to the curry and cooked until they are soft and juicy. This recipe also uses capsicum, which imparts a lovely peppery aroma to the dish. Perfect with rice and dal, or with a light vegetable polao or luchi.

Recipe Notes

Method

Cut paneer into 3-cm cubes. Divide potatoes into 3-cm cubes, and capsicum into 2-cm squares. Slit the green chillies. Beat yoghurt until lump-free.
Smear the paneer cubes with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
Heat a pan very well and add vegetable oil (enough to fry the paneer). Allow the oil to heat completely before adding the paneer. Fry the cubes in a single layer for about 30 seconds on each side. Set aside when done.
Heat mustard oil in a kadai. Temper with dried red chillies, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds.
Add potatoes. Cover and fry until they are golden (4 minutes).
In a small bowl, mix ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder with water. Add the spice slurry to the pan, and cover and cook it for about 6 minutes.
Add salt. Then add capsicum. Mix, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Add slit green chillies and beaten yoghurt. Cook uncovered on medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add blanched peas (if you are using raw peas, add them with the potatoes).
Add sugar and hot water for the gravy. Wait for it to come to a boil.
Add the fried paneer cubes. Bubble on medium heat until the curry thickens (around 6 minutes).
Finish with gorom moshla, ghee, and a slit green chilli.