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Use Ingredients

    1.’Panir’ – 1 Kg
    2. Milk – 1 Cup
    3. Broken Dry Ginger, or Sliced Green Ginger – 10 gm
    4. Aniseeds, whole – 10 gm
    5. Salt to taste – 1 to 2 tsps
    6. Asafoetida – a pinch
    7. Turmeric – 2 tsps
    8. Curd – 1 cup
    9. Aniseed Powder – 2 tsps
    10. Ginger Powder – 1 tsp
    11. Mustard oil – 1 tsp
    12. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
    13. Cloves – 3 nos
    14. Caraway Seeds – 1/2 tsp
    15. ‘Garam Masala’ – 1 tsp
    16. Green Cardamom – 6 nos
    17. Black Cardamom, Cinnamon and Black Pepper Powders, each – 1/2 tsp
    Preparation

Preparation

Dice, with a sharp knife, the ‘Panir’ into about 3/4″ cubes.

Method of Cooking

    In Kashmir, for preparing ‘Qaliya’, earthenware cooking vessels (a ‘Deg’ to cook 2 to 3 kg. ‘Panir’ and a ‘Leij’ for quantities upto 1 kg.), are usually used. The baked clay imparts a special aroma to the ‘Qaliya’. However, where an earthenware vessel is not available, a steel or a tinned copper or brass ‘Patila’ is used.

  1. In a ‘Kadahi’, deep fry, on medium heat, the diced ‘Panir’ in the Mustard oil, till it turns golden yellow, and the edges of the pieces fry a little brown. While frying, keep on turning the diced Cheese with a perforated ladle (H – ‘Jharna’), so that it is fried uniformly. Take out the fried Cheese, after draining the oil by means of the perforated ladle. Remove the ‘Kadahi’ from the stove.

  2. Now, in a ‘Patila’, of about 3 litres capacity, boil for half an hour, the fried Cheese, in a litre of water, after adding to it, the cup of Milk, broken Dry Ginger or sliced Green Ginger, the Aniseeds, Turmeric, Salt and half a pinch of Asafoetida.

  3. Strain the Soup through a colander or a cloth, and keep it in a bowl. Sort out the Cheese pieces and keep in another bowl, and throw away the boiled Ginger, Aniseeds and other sediments; left in the colander or the cloth.

  4. To the strained Soup, add the Curd, Aniseed and Ginger Powders, after mixing these with a spoon, or churning with a small churning stick (H – ‘Biloni) into a homogenous sauce. Pour this into the ‘Patila’ or an earthenware vessel, after washing its inside. Resume heating it, and keep on stirring with a steel or wooden ladle, so that the Curd does not crack and separate, till it comes to a boil. Add the boiled Cheese pieces, and let boil for another 20 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile alter straining the oil left over from frying of the Cheese, to remove any sediments, heat it again in the ‘Kadahi’, and add to it Cloves, Cumin Seeds, and the remaining half pinch of Asafoetida. Stir till the Cumin Seeds and Cloves get a little fried, but not charred, and add this oil along with the Spices to the boiling Cheese. Stir and let boil for five minutes more.

  6. Add Caraway Seeds, somewhat crushed Green Cardamoms, the Black Cardamom, Cinnamon and Black Pepper Powders, and also the ‘Garam Masala’. Mix gently with the steel or wooden ladle, and let the pot, after covering it with a lid, simmer on very low heat for another 10 minutes. ‘Chamani Qaliya’ is ready. Serve it piping hot, ladling directly on hot Plain Cooked Rice, as is usually done in all Big Feasts and Dinners.

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