Cottage Cheese Curry/Chenna Curry

Odisha Famous Chenna Curry

Ingredients -

• Whole milk - 1 litre
• Lemon juice/Vinegar - 2-3 tbsp
• Maida - 2 tbsp
• Finely chopped onion - 1 no.Large
• Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Tomato puree -1 cup
• Cardamon - 2 nob
• Cloves - 2 no
• Cinnamon stick - 2 inch long
• Bay leaf - 1 nob
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp(optional)
• Turmeric - 1/3 tsp
• Red chili powder -1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder -1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sufficient oil for shallow/deep frying.

Method :-

• To prepare chenna - Bring milk to a boil. Add the lemon juice/vinegar and wait for a few minutes till the milk soilds separate from whey. The whey should have a clear apperance at this point. If not add more vinegar boil for another 5 mins.

• Once all the solids separate, strain the chenna using a fine cloth or even a strainer with very fine mesh. Allow to stand for sometime till excess water is drained.

• Take the chenna in a vessel/mixing bowl and add the maida. Crumble and knead the chenna to remove lumps and it just comes together into a soft dough ( takes abt 5-6 mins, do not overdo the kneading ). Pinch small lumps out of the dough and shape into balls. These balls can either be shallow fried or deep fried.

• Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Put one ball into the wok and test if it holds together. If yes, add the remaining balls into the wok and fry them to a brown color on medium heat. (If it starts to crumble/break, add little more maida to the chenna dough and knead for another 2-3 mins.)

• Once the balls are fried, keep them aside and drain the excess oil from the wok.


• Put the whole spices into the remaining oil in the wok and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and saute on low flame till light brown. At this stage add the sugar and allow it to melt. Once the sugar melts, it gives a deep brown color to the onion. 

• Aded ginger garlic paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes till its raw smell goes away. Pour in the tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes.

• Now add turmeric, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt. Roast the masalas for 5-7 mints.

• Add about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water and bring to boil. Allow water to reduce to 2/3rd.

• Put in the fried chenna balls and simmer on medium flame for 2 minutes.
• Add the garam Masala powder mix it nicely then , Cover with lid and switch off the flame. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes.
• Then serve the gravy with plain white rice/Roti/paratha and enjoy...