Egg Devil Recipe

Also known as Bengali egg chop or Dimer Devil, this dish is available at fast food stalls around Kolkata. It is especially popular during the Durga Puja season and also all year round. Bengali egg devil is different from devilled eggs, in which the boiled egg yolk is mixed with mayonnaise, mustard and salt. It is believed that the word 'devil' was used to refer to dishes that were gussied up with spices and other condiments. Since spices were expensive earlier, 'deviled’ dishes' were enjoyed mainly by the rich. Egg devil is also believed to be inspired by the Mughlai dish Nargisi kofta, which is a part of Anglo-Indian cuisine too. Food writers believe that this batter fried snack came into existence during colonial times. The story goes that chefs in British kitchens wanted to try something new and ended up stuffing hard boiled eggs with boiled potato, onions and spices, and coated them in breadcrumbs before deep-frying them.