Dimer Alur Chop Recipe

Prepare eggs and vegetables

Hard-boil 6 eggs (about 10 minutes in boiling water). Cool, peel and set aside. Boil potatoes until tender, peel and mash until smooth. Finely chop cauliflower so it cooks quickly when sautéed. Finely chop onion, green chili and cilantro.

Make filling base

In a large mixing bowl combine the mashed potatoes (2 cups), finely chopped cauliflower (1 cup), finely chopped onion (1 cup), green chili (1 tsp), chopped cilantro (0.25 cup), salt (1.5 tsp) and black pepper (0.5 tsp). Mix thoroughly until uniform. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds (1 tsp) and mustard seeds (0.5 tsp). When they begin to crackle, add ginger paste (1 tsp) and garlic paste (1 tsp). Sauté for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the cauliflower-onion-potato mixture and cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the cauliflower softens and excess moisture evaporates. Add panch phoron or garam masala (0.5 tsp), turmeric (0.5 tsp) and red chili powder (1 tsp). Cook 1–2 minutes more to bloom the spices. Remove from heat and let the filling cool until it can be handled (10–15 minutes).

While filling cools, halve the peeled eggs lengthwise. Gently remove yolks and set yolks aside in a small bowl. Keep whites intact for stuffing.

Mash reserved egg yolks and fold them into the cooled potato–cauliflower filling to bind and add richness. Mix evenly.

Take an egg white half and spoon about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of the filling into the cavity. Press gently to shape into a smooth mound that fills the white. Repeat to stuff all egg halves (should make about 12 halves). If you prefer whole egg shapes, you can reassemble halves around a filling ball and shape into ovals.

Shape each stuffed egg into a neat oval or round dumpling by smoothing with wet hands. If any filling is loose, refrigerate the shaped pieces for 10 minutes to firm up before coating.

Prepare the batter: In a bowl whisk together all-purpose flour (1 cup), gram flour (0.5 cup), rice flour (2 tbs), baking powder (0.5 tsp), turmeric (0.5 tsp), red chili powder (1 tsp) and a pinch of salt. Add garlic paste (1 tsp). Gradually add cold water (0.75 cup) while whisking to make a thick, smooth batter that will coat the stuffed eggs. The batter should be thick enough to cling but pourable; adjust water slightly if needed.

Place breadcrumbs (0.75 cup) in a shallow dish for a second coating (optional) to give extra crunch.

Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or kadhai to 170–180°C (340–355°F) — a small drop of batter should sizzle and rise slowly.

Coat each stuffed egg: dip into the batter to cover completely, let excess drip off, then roll in breadcrumbs if using. For a thicker crust double-coat by repeating the batter-and-breadcrumb step once more.

Fry the coated eggs in batches without overcrowding, 3–4 minutes per batch, turning occasionally so they brown evenly. Fry until golden brown and crisp. Maintain oil temperature by adjusting heat between batches.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chops and drain on paper towels for 2–3 minutes. Sprinkle a little extra salt if desired while hot.

Serve Dimer Alur Chop hot with tamarind chutney, coriander-mint chutney or ketchup and lemon wedges. Garnish with chopped cilantro. These are an excellent snack or appetizer and pair well with chai.