Chotpoti
In its own language: চটপটি
Bangladeshi street food of potatoes, chickpeas, and tangy toppings
Chotpoti is a street snack from Bangladesh, especially popular in cities. It is made with potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and chillies, and is often topped with tamarind chutney, coriander, cumin, and crispy puri. Served hot, it balances spicy and sour flavours, and can be adjusted to taste.
- Chotpoti is a popular street food in Bangladeshi cities.
- It combines potatoes, chickpeas, onions, and chillies.
- Tamarind chutney and crispy puri are common toppings.
- Served hot, it is both spicy and sour.
- Vendors adjust the taste to each customer's liking.
What is Chotpoti?
Chotpoti is a street food dish from Bangladesh, made mainly with potatoes, chickpeas, and onions. It is topped with diced chillies or grated boiled eggs, and often finished with tamarind chutney, fresh coriander leaves, cumin, and pieces of crispy puri (a fried bread). The dish is served hot and is known for its mix of spicy and sour flavours. The look is colourful, with bright toppings and a mix of textures from the soft potatoes and chickpeas to the crunchy puri.
Where does Chotpoti come from?
Chotpoti comes from Bangladesh and is especially common in urban areas. The name means 'spicy', referring to the use of many spices rather than just heat. It is a well-known part of Bengali street food culture, but the sources do not give details about its early history or how it spread. Its popularity is tied to city life, where it is a common snack sold by street vendors.
How is Chotpoti made?
To make chotpoti, potatoes and chickpeas are cooked and mixed with chopped onions and chillies. The mixture is then topped with diced chillies or grated boiled eggs, and finished with tamarind chutney, coriander leaves, cumin, and crispy puri. The balance of spicy and sour flavours can be adjusted to taste, often by asking the vendor to make it more or less spicy or tangy.
How and when is Chotpoti eaten?
Chotpoti is eaten as a snack, usually bought from street stalls in Bangladeshi cities. It is served hot, often in a bowl or plate, and eaten with a spoon. People can ask the vendor to make it more spicy, more sour, or balanced, depending on their preference. It is enjoyed as an everyday treat, especially in busy urban settings.
Kinds of Chotpoti
The basic ingredients of chotpoti remain the same, but toppings can vary. Some versions use more egg, extra chillies, or a different amount of tamarind chutney for extra sourness. The level of spice and sourness is often adjusted by the vendor to suit each customer’s taste.
What Chotpoti means
Chotpoti is a familiar part of daily life in Bangladesh, especially in cities. It is a favourite street snack, often eaten with friends or family. The dish reflects the street food culture of Bangladesh, where vendors prepare it fresh and adjust the flavours to each person’s liking. It is not tied to any festival or religious event, but is enjoyed as an everyday food.
Questions people ask about Chotpoti
What is chotpoti made of?
Chotpoti is made with potatoes, chickpeas, onions, chillies, and often topped with tamarind chutney, coriander leaves, cumin, crispy puri, and sometimes grated boiled eggs.
Where does chotpoti come from?
Chotpoti comes from Bangladesh and is especially popular in urban areas as a street food snack.
Is chotpoti always spicy?
Chotpoti is known for its spicy and sour taste, but the level of spice can be adjusted by the vendor to suit each customer's preference.
Is chotpoti vegetarian?
Chotpoti can be vegetarian, but some versions include grated boiled eggs as a topping, so it varies.
How is chotpoti served?
Chotpoti is served hot, usually in a bowl or plate, and eaten as a snack from street stalls.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Chotpoti", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes, and it is not dietary or allergy advice: recipes differ from cook to cook. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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