Fuchka & Chotpoti — A Popular Street Foods in Dhaka

What is Bangladeshi Fuchka?

A little bit sweet, a little sour, a little spicy, fuchka is one of the most ubiquitous street foods in Bangladesh. The crispy, hollow spheres commonly come with a filling of mashed potatoes and chickpeas, mixed with freshly chopped onions, cucumber, lime, coriander and green chillies in a chaat masala blend.

What Daal is used for Chotpoti?

The dish consists mainly of potatoes, chickpeas, and onions and is usually topped with additional diced chillies or grated boiled eggs. Other common toppings include tamarind chutney, coriander leaves, cumin, and crispy puri. It is spicy and sour in taste, and is usually served hot.

In almost all the places of Dhaka, wherever they sell fuchka, they sell chotpoti as well. It is almost as if one is incomplete without the other. In Dhaka, the carts that sell these can be found on most of the main streets.

Especially Fuchka, a crispy delight filled with protein-rich chickpeas, potatoes, and multiple spices complemented with a flavourful tamarind juice, is quite an accessible food to people of all classes.

The name fuchka came from Assam but it has been a popular street food all over South Asia. To make you taste the best ones, The Business Standard identified some of the best fuchka vendors in Dhaka.

While the name of this fuchka cart is rather commonplace, fuchka maker Md Abu Taher makes it exceptional. Starting in 1984, Abu Taher’s fuchka and chotpoti are beloved by the people of Dhaka and especially popular among the residents of the Mohammadpur and Dhanmondi areas.

Abu Taher said, “I started my business back in 1984 when my brother enlightened me on how popular this snack is in Pakistan. I started to sell fuchka in the Sangsad Bhaban area but after 8 years I moved to Lalmatia. Since then many people joined the business, but I remain the oldest one to this day. Now my apprentice also owns a fuchka cart.”

Mama’s fuchka costs only Tk50. Apart from fuchka, chotpoti and doi fuchka, he also sells complimentary snacks, churmur, alur dom etc.