Chana Chena Tarkaari - Paneer fritters in gravy - Kataki Style !!

During any wedding in Cuttack, all relatives stay in one place for many days preparing for the wedding and shopping and what not. When there is a wedding to come, how can people leave out good food... especially the Katakis (Residents of Cuttack)...  Usually, there is a dedicated cook and his assistant staying in the house of the wedding cooking spicy & oily yet yummy meals for the whole family... starting with the breakfast Puri-Sabjee.. to lunch special Rohu fish curry.. and ending with yummy Dalma in dinner...

One of my personal favorites is the lunch item for vegetarians... the "Chana Chena Tarkaari" (Meaning Paneer fritters in gravy)... The gravy is simple.. it can be made complicated with multiple things... but the paneer is melting-in-mouth soft on the inside and dunked crispy in the gravy.. which makes it unique in picture, taste and texture !!



Here's what I used to make the "Chana Chena Tarkaari"

For the "Chana Chena" (Paneer Fritters)

• 1 cup fresh home-made chena (Paneer) {The regular process of boiling milk and adding lemon juice to make paneer was used}
• 2-3 table spoons maida (all purpose flour)
• Wee bit salt
• Oil for deep frying

For "Tarkaari" (gravy)

• 1 medium red onion chopped super fine. Use a chopper if you have one. 
• 2 table spoons of home-made ginger-garlic paste. Store bought will ruin the taste.. trust me !!
• 1 small red plump tomato, diced to small bits
• Turmeric powder + Jeera powder + coriander powder + red chilli powder + garam masala powder {All combined will be around 2 table spoons}
• 2 -3 green chillies slit {Skip if you don't like to bite into green hot chillies}
• Salt to taste
• 1 tea spoon sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tea spoon cumin seeds
• Half palm full of kasoori methi crushed between palms (optional)
• Oil to make gravy

Process

• Take the paneer in a big plate, add maida and salt and knead to soft dough. The dough should be smooth to feel and when you try to roll into a small ball, the surface should be without cracks. This process takes 10 - 15 mins so please be patient with it. Adding maida makes the paneer fritters soft from the inside while keeping the outer layer crispy.
• Once the dough is ready, pinch out small amount of dough and roll it in your palms into small and flat balls (the ones that look like cute small while rasmalais). Another way is to take a small plate with high edges and stuff the paneer into that. De-mould and cut the paneer cake into squares or diamonds as desired. I roll them into rounds.. its easy and takes less time and vessels. :)
• Heat oil for deep frying and fry the paneer balls on medium heat until light brown in color. Take out and keep on a kitchen towel so that the extra oil is absorbed.
• Now the gravy... this is the usual onion-tomato gravy... heat oil till medium hot and then add the sugar and bay leaves... while the sugar becomes brown.. the bay leaves will be lightly fried too
• Now goes the cumin seeds...fry them till the cumin seeds change color
• Next goes.. onions.. and these need to be fried till golden brown color...this will take some time.. specially if you are not using red onions.. approximately 5 -7 mins..
• Next goes.. the ginger-garlic paste.. and add a splash of water.. and let it fry till the raw smell goes away...
• Now goes the tomatoes + dry masala powders + Kasoori methi +1/4 cup water + salt to taste... Fry this till the tomatoes are well cooked and oil oozes out of the edges of the masala... if you think masala is burning out, you can add small amount of water.. and let the masala fry properly
• Once the masala is done, add 2 cups of hot water..and cover and let the gravy boil...
• Once the gravy boils, simmer the pot and let simmer for 5 more mins.
• At the end, add the paneer balls, cover the pot and switch off the heat.
• While serving, garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy the Kataki favorite paneer curry... Try out the dish and let me know how it came out !!