L17 · Lunch · West Bengal

Dimer Jhol (Bengali Egg Curry)

Name: Dimer Jhol (Bengali Egg Curry)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian (West Bengal)
Ingredients: 6 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled; 150 g potato, halved; 120 g onion, puréed; 100 g tomato, puréed; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 15 g mustard oil; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp turmeric; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; ½ tsp garam masala; 2 g sugar (a pinch, traditional); 5 g salt; 300 ml hot water; 120 g raw rice (60 g each)

Good sourceContains egg

The everyday Bengali egg curry: boiled eggs and potatoes, first browned in mustard oil, then simmered in a light, cumin-scented gravy meant to be soaked up with rice.

Region: West Bengal
Diet: Contains egg
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Time, as written: Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min
Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Status: Traditional; three eggs per person
Good for: Everyday lunch

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L17Dimer jhol, ricePhotograph to come

Nutrition

Good source

28 gProtein

585kcal

4.5 gProtein per 100 kcal

Per serving	kcal	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Sat fat	Fibre	Sugars	Protein per 100 kcal
Dimer jhol only (3 eggs, potato, gravy)	370	23 g	20 g	22 g	5 g	4 g	6 g	6.0 g
Full plate: jhol, 60 g raw rice	585	28 g	67 g	22 g	5 g	6 g	6 g	4.5 g

Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.

Tier: Good source (plate); the dish alone is High protein. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.

Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.

Ingredients

Plate

120 g raw rice (60 g each)

Method

Rub the eggs and potatoes with a pinch of turmeric and salt. Prick the eggs lightly with a fork.
Heat mustard oil until it just smokes, then lower the heat. Fry eggs 2 minutes until lightly blistered; remove. Fry potatoes 5 minutes until golden; remove.
In the same oil, add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Add onion purée; cook 6–8 minutes until light brown.
Add ginger-garlic paste, then tomato purée and the powdered spices. Cook 5 minutes until oil separates.
Add potatoes, sugar, salt and hot water. Cover and simmer 12 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Add eggs and simmer 3 minutes. Finish with garam masala. The gravy should stay thin. Serve with rice.

Protein optimisation

Where the protein comes from: Eggs supply 19 g per serving; potato and rice 5.5 g.
Boost: Add 100 g peas with the potatoes (+3.5 g protein, +45 kcal per serving).

Variations, serving and storage

Regional: Dimer dalna — a thicker, richer version with more onion and a spoon of curd.
Substitution: Groundnut oil for mustard oil (milder flavour).
Storage: 1 day refrigerated.
Food safety: Refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until bubbling.
Meal prep: Boil eggs up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate unpeeled.

Allergens

Eggs

Labels: Good source · Dairy-free · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free*

Gluten-free* means gluten-free only when certified gluten-free hing is used; most hing contains wheat flour.

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