Egg Benjo: This Delicious Street Food From Indore Has A British Link

By now, you surely have a long list of customized and upgraded egg sandwich recipes. But trust us, it’s not done yet! Eggs are so versatile and easy to cook that every corner of the world experiments with them every single day. Unfortunately, only a handful get the credit they deserve, while the rest remain hidden behind closed doors. Today, we will bring you one such egg-based dish that rules the streets of Madhya Pradesh and tastes oh-so-delicious. It’s called Egg Benjo. Quite an interesting name, right? Let’s find out more about the dish.
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What Is Egg Benjo? History And Origin Of The Dish:

To put it simply, Egg Benjo is a simple egg masala sandwich or a distant cousin of the Mumbai-style Egg Pav, where a spicy omelette is pressed between a pav to create an appetizing dish. But did you know that this dish has British origins? That’s right!
The name “Egg Benjo” comes from “Egg Banjo,” a popular dish among the British army. According to the food-and-travel guide TasteAtlas, “Egg Banjo is a British sandwich that was especially popular with British troops during World War II.” This sandwich usually consists of white bread with margarine, fried eggs, and ketchup inside. Traditionally, the British troops used nearly stale bread and fried eggs with a runny yolk, which played a major role in the naming of the dish.
As described by TasteAtlas, “The yolk and the sauce often dribble down one’s chest, so the hand is moved to wipe it, while the other hand is still holding the sandwich, so it looks like one’s playing an air banjo, hence the name Egg Banjo.”
Over the years, this dish got popularized in various other countries, including India, where it underwent unique customizations based on the local palate and dialect. That’s how ‘banjo’ over time became ‘benjo’.
Also Read: Quick And Easy Creamy Egg Sandwich Recipe For Tasty And Healthier Breakfast

Photo Credit: iStock

Egg Benjo Recipe: How To Make Indori Street Food Egg Benjo:

While you will find various versions of the dish, there’s one particular recipe from a store in the popular ‘Chappan Dukan’ area of Indore that left us enthralled. It’s from the famous ‘Johnny Hot Dog’, where you will get desi-style hotdogs (mostly veg ones) made with crispy patty, spicy chutney, onion, and more. Here, we took inspiration from that very dish and made it our own. Let’s check it out.
Start by making an utterly butterly omelette using eggs, onion, tomato (you can avoid it now), green chillies, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli, and turmeric. Then cut it in half and place it within a butter-toasted pav. Spread red and green chutney on it, sprinkle special Indori jeeravan masala on it, close it, and enjoy it hot.
Already slurping? Click here for the recipe.

Bonus Recipe:

We felt that the jeeravan masala made the dish stand out from the rest. While you can get ready-made jeeravan masala online, we suggest making it at home to enjoy it fresh. Click here for the DIY jeeravan masala recipe at home.
Try this delicious egg sandwich today and enjoy a ‘chatpata’ evening!