AI-generated image
Chhena tarkari
ଛେନା ତରକାରି (chhena tarkari): Odisha's fried fresh-cheese cubes and potatoes in a light cumin-tomato gravy
In Odia homes, from Cuttack to Puri, chhena tarkari is the special curry for a Sunday lunch, a guest or a festival day when the household eats no onion or garlic. Fresh chhena, the soft cheese Odisha also turns into rasagola, is pressed, cut into cubes and fried golden, then simmered with potato in a thin gravy of tomato, ginger and roasted cumin. The cubes stay soft and soak up the sauce, and the dish is eaten with rice, puri or paratha. Chhena is made by curdling milk with lemon juice, so it contains no rennet. The usual mistake is boiling the gravy hard after the chhena goes in, which breaks the cubes into crumbs. Chef's tip: fry the chhena cubes until golden on two sides only, then rest them in warm water for five minutes; they swell and turn spongy, just like an Odia grandmother's.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chhena
- 9 oz fresh chhena (or paneer)homemade from 1.5 litres whole milk and 3 tbsp lemon juice, pressed for 1 hour
- 3 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil
For the gravy
- 2 potatoespeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 ripe tomatoesfinely chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp roasted ground cumin
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups hot water
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Knead the pressed 9 oz fresh chhena (or paneer) for 1 minute until smooth, press it into a 2 cm thick slab and cut it into 2 cm cubes.
5 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat (if using mustard oil, heat until it just smokes, then cool for 30 seconds). Fry the chhena cubes in one layer for about 2 minutes a side until golden, then lift them into a bowl of warm water.
6 minStep 3: Fry the 2 potatoes in the same oil for 6 minutes, turning, until golden at the edges. Lift them out.
6 minStep 4: Add 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp cumin seeds to the oil; when they crackle, add 1 tbsp ginger paste and stir for 30 seconds. Add 2 ripe tomatoes, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp roasted ground cumin, ½ tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, and cook for 5 minutes until the tomato is soft and oil shines at the edges.
6 minStep 5: Return the potatoes, pour in the 1 ¾ cups hot water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until a knife slides easily into the potato.
10 minStep 6: Squeeze the chhena gently, add it to the pot and simmer on the lowest heat for 3 minutes; don't boil it hard or the cubes break.
3 minStep 7: Stir in ½ tsp garam masala, scatter 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve hot with rice or puri.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chhena tarkari take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodeh
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Indonesian
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Sabudana khichdi
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.