Dimer devil | Dimer chop | How to make dimer devil | Egg devil

Dimer devil aka dimer chop is an immensely popular Bengali snack recipe which is sold in almost every corner of Bengal, starting from street food vendors to canteens to cabin type restaurants. Dimer devil recipe is the amalgamation of spicy boiled eggs, boiled mashed potatoes and homemade bhaja masala along with few spices and herbs. The half of the hardboiled egg is wrapped with the spicy potato mixture and made into a cylindrical shape. Then it is coated with egg mixture and breadcrumbs and finally deep fried till crispy. It is always served hot as a snack with onion-cucumber salad and the Bengali dip kasundi or tomato ketchup.

Bengal is the heaven of street food and myriad chop recipes, rolls, cutlets and pakodas are prepared in the street corners, canteens, line hotels and restaurants. Tele bhaja, I mean deep fried stuffs are always a big forte of Bengali street food and chop recipes are one of them. In fact, a pair of devil chop with some onion salad and dip is one of the favourite foods in canteen among college students.

About the recipe
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How to make dimer devil (step wise photos)
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Chop is a Bengali street food which is quite like a cutlet or croquettes recipe. But both are quite different in taste and texture from each other. Many people consider Chop as an Anglo-Indian recipe. According to them, when British came to India, they used to have breaded deep-fried meat and eggs. With time, these recipes got modified in Bengali kitchen with regional flavours. In this way, different types of chop recipes got invented in Bengal. Dimer devil aka dimer chop is one of them.

There are different varieties of chop recipes that are prepared in Bengal. One of it is the vegetarian one that is prepared with different types of vegetables like aloor chop, vegetable chop, raw jackfruit chop aka echorer chop, mochar chop aka banana blossom chop and many more. On the other hand, non-veg chop is mostly prepared with fishes, eggs, minced meat like prawn chop, mutton chop, chicken chop, dimer chop aka egg chop, fish chop etc.

Dimer devil aka dimer chop is a non-vegetarian version of chop recipe where cylindrical shaped chop mixture is breaded and deep fried till crispy and golden brown. It is mostly prepared in two different ways.

• The regular one is prepared using spicy potato mixture and boiled eggs.
• The special version of dimer devil is prepared with spicy minced mutton or mutton keema mixture with some mashed potato and boiled eggs.

Today I am going to share the regular version of dimer devil recipe with you without using minced meat.

There are few different theories around the history of this spectacular chop recipe.

According to few people, dimer devil recipe is the Mughlai cuisine influenced and amalgamated recipe which is adapted from their popular nargisi kofta recipe.

According to another theory, dimer chop is adapted from British when they came to rule India. The croquette recipes were modified in Bengali kitchen and dimer devil is discovered.

There is no doubt in it that both British and Mughal empires have highly influenced the Bengali cuisine and have left a remarkable mark in it. From where this scrumptious chop recipe was adapted is a history and mystery to me. But the most important part is that it tastes heavenly and till now it is equally popular and prepared in each corner of Kolkata.

Whenever I talk about dimer chop recipe, it always makes me feel nostalgic. It always reminds me of my college life. During my teenage, it was almost compulsory to have dimer devil twice in a week. After finishing my classes, I always used to go to the canteen with my friends and buy hot freshly fried egg devil and devour it with immense pleasure and lot of chit-chat. Those were so fantastic days!!!

In fact, dimer devil was one of the most popular snack recipes in our student life, especially during Durga puja. There are three reasons behind it.

• It tastes amazing and you can have it without spoiling your make up during puja.
• It is cheap but the portion is enough to kill your hunger for couple of hours.
• The price of the dimer chop is quite reasonable for students.

But after leaving Bengal for job, I used to crave for kolkata street food badly, especially for dimer devil, Kolkata egg roll and phuchka. Though there are very few Bengali food stalls in Pune and Bengaluru, but it is not always possible to go so far for the snack. Even now, whenever I go the city, I always visit street food stalls and have those street foods of Kolkata to satisfy my crave and to give a throwback to the memories of school & college days.

Then one day during lockdown in the UK for COVID situation, me and my husband were craving for the dimer devil and decided to prepare it at home. I have already prepared Bengali veg chop at home and had got some expertise in preparing any chop recipe. When I prepared the dish, my husband just loved them. He told me that the taste of these dimer chop reminds the essence of Kolkata street food. Now, at least once in couple of months, dimer devil recipe accompanies us with tea as evening snacks.

The difficulty level of preparing dimer chop recipe is moderate and it requires little bit of arrangement before preparing. It is a little bit time consuming recipe because the chop needs to be shaped and coated with breadcrumbs and the bhaja masala needs to be prepared at home. Otherwise, each ingredient used to prepare the dish is easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. But it’s completely worth to spend each second on it. It could be a perfect snack recipe for small family get togethers.

Egg devil recipe step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then I hope that it can remind you of the taste of street food of Kolkata.

• Don’t skip bhaja masala for the recipe or don’t replace it with any other spice mixture.
• Always double coat the dimer chop with breadcrumbs to get perfect crispy outer layer.
• After coating the egg chop with breadcrumbs, refrigerate it for an hour for the coating to get set properly. This step helps to give crack free dimer chop during the time of deep frying.
• Always check the temperature of the oil before adding chops to deep fry by adding little bit of batter into the oil. The oil should be hot enough or else the chop may break.

To prepare the dimer devil, first boil the eggs. Take a pan and add water into it. Once the water stars boiling, put the flame in low and add the eggs into the water carefully with a ladle and boil it for 12-13 minutes. Then switch off the flame and immediately pour the eggs into cold water. Then allow the eggs to cool down completely and then peel off the skin of the eggs. Cut the eggs into halves lengthwise and keep them aside.

Then wash the potatoes and pressure cook them in enough water till two whistles in medium flame and allow the pressure to settle down. You can boil the potatoes in a pan too with lid till al dente. You can peel the skin before boiling as well. It’s completely your own choice how you are going to boil the potatoes.

When the pressure settles down, take the potatoes out of it and allow it to slightly cool down till touchable. Then peel the skin off the potatoes and mash them to a smooth paste with the help of either potato masher or hand.

To prepare the dimer chop mixture, first add oil into a pan and allow it to become hot. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onions into the pan and cook it on medium flame for 5-6 minutes. Then add finely chopped ginger-garlic, green chillies and give a nice mix. Cook them over low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Then add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes. Then add garam masala, Bhaja masala into the pan and give a nice stir.

Add the mashed potato into the pan and mix it evenly with a spatula. Cook it over medium flame for another couple of minutes. Stir on regular intervals. Add chopped coriander leaves into the pan and give a nice mix. Then switch off the flame and transfer the content to a separate plate to cool down completely before shaping them into the form of chop.

Apply oil in your palm and grab a large portion of the mixture in your hand and make a small thick disk. Put the half of the hardboiled egg on the disk and wrap the egg completely with the potato mixture. Then slowly shape it into cylindrical form by pressing with the help of fingers and palms. Repeat the process and form cylindrical shaped chop with rest of the mixture and boiled egg halves.

For the coating of the chop, crack an egg into a bowl and add salt, black pepper powder, little water and beat it thoroughly and keep it aside.

Take breadcrumbs in a separate bowl or plate to roll the chops. First roll the cylindrical shaped egg chops over the breadcrumbs and coat it. Then dip the shaped chop into the batter and roll it on breadcrumbs once more.

Then refrigerate the egg devil bengali recipe for 1 hour. This process helps the coating to get set nicely to avoid any crack during the time of deep frying the chops.

Take a deep pan and add enough oil to deep fry the dimer chop. Check the temperature of the oil by dropping little bit of the batter into the oil. If it floats up, then the oil is ready to fry the dimer devil.

Add the chop into the hot oil and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes evenly till crispy and golden brown in colour. Don’t overcrowd the pan during the time of frying the dimer chop and turn the chop delicately. Drain the chop from oil and keep them on a tissue lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Many Kolkata street food have already been shared in my previous post. You can check few of them like

Bengali veg chop
Bengali singara
Kolkata egg roll
Ghugni

..And Many more…

• 3 Eggs, boiled and cut into halves
• 3 large Potatoes, boiled
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green Chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons Bhaja masala
• ¾ teaspoon Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Oil, for cooking

• 1 Egg
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 1 cup Breadcrumb
• Oil to deep fry the dimer devil

1. Take a pan and add water into it. Once the water stars boiling, put the flame in low and add the eggs into the water carefully with a ladle and boil it for 12-13 minutes. Then switch off the flame and immediately pour the eggs into cold water. Allow the eggs to cool down completely and then peel off the skin of the eggs. Cut the eggs into halves lengthwise and keep them aside.
2. Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them in enough water till two whistles in medium flame and allow the pressure to settle down. When the pressure gets released, take the potatoes out of it and allow it to slightly cool down till touchable. Then peel the skin off the potatoes and mash them to a smooth paste with the help of either potato masher or hand.
3. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add oil into the pan and allow it to become hot.
4. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onions into the pan and cook it on medium flame for 5-6 minutes.
5. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook them over low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
6. Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
7. Add ¾ teaspoon garam masala, 2 tablespoons Bhaja masala into the pan and give a nice mix.
8. Add the mashed potato into the pan and mix it evenly with a spatula. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes. Stir on regular intervals.
9. Add 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves into the pan and give a nice mix. Then switch off the flame.
10. Transfer the content to a separate plate to cool down completely before shaping them into the form of chop.
11. Apply oil in your palm and grab a large portion of the mixture in your hand and make a small thick disk. Put the half of the hardboiled egg on the disk and wrap the egg completely with the potato mixture. Then slowly shape it into cylindrical form by pressing with the help of fingers and palms. Repeat the process and form cylindrical shaped chop with rest of the mixture and boiled egg halves.
12. Take breadcrumbs in a separate bowl or plate to roll the chops.
13. First roll the cylindrical shaped egg chops over the breadcrumbs and coat it.
14. For the coating of the chop, crack an egg into a bowl.
15. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon water and beat it thoroughly and keep it aside.
16. Dip the shaped chop into the egg mixture and roll it on breadcrumbs once more.
    Note: Always use dry hand or a dry spoon to coat the chop with breadcrumbs or else it will stick and made lumps.
17. Repeat the complete process and coat all the chops. Then refrigerate the coated chop for at least 1 hour. This process helps the coating to get set nicely to avoid any crack during the time of deep frying the chops.
18. Take a deep pan and add enough oil to deep fry the dimer chop. Check the temperature of the oil by dropping little bit of batter into the oil. If it floats up, then the oil is ready to fry the dimer devil.
19. Add the chop into the oil and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes evenly till crispy and golden brown in colour. Strain the dimer chop from the hot oil with a skimmer.
    Note: Don’t overcrowd the pan during the time of frying the dimer chop and turn the chop delicately.
20. Repeat the process and fry all the chops. Transfer them on a tissue lined plate.

Transfer the dimer chop on serving plate. Serve immediately after frying to enjoy its best taste. Always serve hot or warm. Pair up the scrumptious snack with kasundi dip or tomato ketchup and some cucumber-onion salad.

After coating the dimer devil, you can refrigerate it for 2-3 days but not more than that. You can place the coated dimer chop in an airtight container and store it in freezer for few weeks. After taking them out of the freezer, don’t thaw them. Directly deep fry them but be careful during frying as the oil would splatter because of the difference in temperature.

Dimer devil | Dimer chop | How to make dimer devil | Egg devil

Serves: 11 pieces Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 3 voted )

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Ingredients

For the Dimer chop

• 3 Eggs, boiled and cut into halves
• 3 large Potatoes, boiled
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green Chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons Bhaja masala
• ¾ teaspoon Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Oil, for cooking

For the coating of the Dimer chop

• 1 Egg
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 1 cup Breadcrumb
• Oil to deep fry the dimer devil

Instructions

1. Take a pan and add water into it. Once the water stars boiling, put the flame in low and add the eggs into the water carefully with a ladle and boil it for 12-13 minutes. Then switch off the flame and immediately pour the eggs into cold water. Allow the eggs to cool down completely and then peel off the skin of the eggs. Cut the eggs into halves lengthwise and keep them aside.
2. Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them in enough water till two whistles in medium flame and allow the pressure to settle down. When the pressure gets released, take the potatoes out of it and allow it to slightly cool down till touchable. Then peel the skin off the potatoes and mash them to a smooth paste with the help of either potato masher or hand.
3. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add oil into the pan and allow it to become hot.
4. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onions into the pan and cook it on medium flame for 5-6 minutes.
5. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook them over low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
6. Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
7. Add ¾ teaspoon garam masala, 2 tablespoons Bhaja masala into the pan and give a nice mix.
8. Add the mashed potato into the pan and mix it evenly with a spatula. Cook it over medium flame for another 2-3 minutes. Stir on regular intervals.
9. Add 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves into the pan and give a nice mix. Then switch off the flame.
10. Transfer the content to a separate plate to cool down completely before shaping them into the form of chop.
11. Apply oil in your palm and grab a large portion of the mixture in your hand and make a small thick disk. Put the half of the hardboiled egg on the disk and wrap the egg completely with the potato mixture. Then slowly shape it into cylindrical form by pressing with the help of fingers and palms. Repeat the process and form cylindrical shaped chop with rest of the mixture and boiled egg halves.
12. Take breadcrumbs in a separate bowl or plate to roll the chops.
13. First roll the cylindrical shaped egg chops over the breadcrumbs and coat it.
14. For the coating of the chop, crack an egg into a bowl.
15. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 tablespoon water and beat it thoroughly and keep it aside.
16. Dip the shaped chop into the egg mixture and roll it on breadcrumbs once more.

Note: Always use dry hand or a dry spoon to coat the chop with breadcrumbs or else it will stick and made lumps.

17. Repeat the complete process and coat all the chops. Then refrigerate the coated chop for at least 1 hour. This process helps the coating to get set nicely to avoid any crack during the time of deep frying the chops.
18. Take a deep pan and add enough oil to deep fry the dimer chop. Check the temperature of the oil by dropping little bit of batter into the oil. If it floats up, then the oil is ready to fry the dimer devil.
19. Add the chop into the oil and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes evenly till crispy and golden brown in colour. Strain the dimer chop from the hot oil with a skimmer.

Note: Don’t overcrowd the pan during the time of frying the dimer chop and turn the chop delicately.

20. Repeat the process and fry all the chops. Transfer them on a tissue lined plate.