First, pour milk into a large pot and bring it to a boil, watching for bubbles. Then, lower the heat.

Next, slowly add lemon juice or vinegar to the milk, stirring gently to help it curdle. You'll see the milk separate into curds and whey in about 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Now, strain the mixture to remove the whey. Gather the curds in a clean muslin cloth and tie it securely.

Place the cloth on a flat surface, like in the sink, and weigh it down to press out excess water for about 30 minutes.

Finally, remove the weight and open the cloth. The Chana is ready! Cut it into small squares for making Chanar Dalna.

Cut potatoes into medium cubes and roughly chop the tomatoes.

Create a paste of ginger, then add cumin powder and mix it well.

First, mix turmeric powder and red chili powder with a bit of water to form a paste.

Next, heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, fry the potato cubes until they are golden brown. Set the fried potatoes aside.

Now, in the same oil, fry the chana cubes on all sides until they turn a bright brown color. Remove the fried chana from the oil.

In the remaining oil, add bay leaves, dried red chili, and cumin seeds. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the raw tomato smell is gone.

Add the ginger-cumin powder paste and the turmeric-red chili powder paste to the pan. Stir well and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add sugar and salt to the mixture, along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until the oil starts to separate.

Pour in 3 cups of water and coconut milk (if using), then add the fried potatoes and fried chana to the pan. Stir everything together.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Mix everything well.

Turn off the heat and let the curry sit for 5-7 minutes before serving.

Enjoy Chanar Dalna with rice or your favorite flatbread like roti, luchi, poori, kachori, or radhaballabhi.