Chotpoti is a tangy, soupy Bangladeshi chaat of soft white peas and diced potato simmered in a spiced tamarind broth, then topped with boiled egg, onion, chili, and crushed fried puri. Sour, spicy, and savory all at once, it is a perennial favorite of street corners and rainy afternoons.
A classic Dhaka street chaat served by the same vendors as fuchka, to which it is the savory-sour-spicy companion. It is built on dried white peas (often with chickpeas alongside) simmered in a spicy tamarind broth, then assembled to order with raw onion, green chili, chopped boiled egg, and crushed fuchka shells. The name itself, in Bengali, signals not mere heat but a layered, zesty tang. Cheap, quick, and sold on nearly every street corner, it is eaten as both an everyday snack and a festive treat around occasions like Eid.
A warm, brothy spoonful hits sour and spicy first, then the white peas turn creamy and the potato melts in. Soft egg rounds it out while crushed puri adds sudden crackle and onion brings raw bite. It is the kind of bowl you keep going back to.
Long soaking and boiling gelatinizes the white peas' starch so they thicken the broth naturally, while tamarind's acidity brightens the earthy legumes. Garnishes added at the end layer contrasting textures over the soft, stewed base.
Variations
Topped with fuchka shells; extra tamarind for a tarter broth; with chickpeas alongside the peas; a drier version with less broth.
On the Palate
Where Chotpoti sits in the Bangladeshi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 1480 min
Soak dried white peas overnight, then boil with a little salt until very soft.
Watch outBoil the white peas until they mash to paste against the pot — half-soft peas won't release the starch that thickens the broth.
- 215 min
Add diced potato and cook until tender in the same pot.
- 315 min
Soak tamarind in warm water and strain to make a tangy extract.
- 45 min
Stir the tamarind extract, chili powder, roasted cumin, and black salt into the peas.
Watch outTaste after the tamarind goes in — you want a bright sweet-sour tang balancing the earthy peas, not straight-up sour; adjust with a pinch more sugar or salt.
- 515 min
Simmer until the broth thickens slightly and flavors meld.
Watch outSimmer until it coats the spoon like a loose gravy — too thin and the garnishes sink; too thick and it's a mush.
- 65 min
Ladle into bowls and top with chopped boiled egg, raw onion, and green chili.
- 73 min
Crush a few fried puris over the top for crunch.
- 82 min
Finish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.
