Chotpoti by Susmita Ghosh

This is probably the most popular snack among the urban people of Bangladesh. Usually this is available in fast food store. This is also known as Futchka when it is served on top individual fuchkas. (Fuchka is nothing but puffed and crispy medium size puri. A hole is created on top of futchka and chotpoti is served within it. Fuchka acts as a kind of serving plate).

Ingredients:

2 cups  White pea, soaked overnight
2 Onions, medium sized and thinly sliced
1 Tomato, thinly sliced
2 Potatoes, large, boiled and thinly sliced
2 Egg, boiled & thinly sliced
1 Cucumber, thinly sliced
½ bunch Coriander leaves, finely chopped
3 Green chillies, chopped
1 tsp Rock salt, to taste         
2 tbsp Vinegar/Lemon Juice
Regular salt, to taste
2 tbsp Sugar
100 grams Tamarind         

Dry masala(whole):
1 tbsp Cumin             
1 tbsp Coriander          
4 Red Chillies
5 or 6 Cloves, whole             
6 Black pepper      
1 tsp Five spice        
½ tsp Aniseed            
Roast all the dry masala in a hot pan very lightly, cool and grind altogether.

Directions:

1. Cook the soaked white peas with little salt & turmeric in a pressure cooker till they become soft. The peas should not be totally meshed and they should be left with little water (don’t make it dry).

2. Boil the tamarind in a cup of water. Add little red chilly (one pinch), sugar and pinch of dry roasted cumin powder. Boil for ten minutes. Cool and strain and keep the watery portion only. Cool and then add lemon juice and rock salt.

3. Take a big bowl. Mix the cooked white peas, tamarind juice as cooked in the
last step and other ingredients. Mix them thoroughly.

4. Place it small individual serving plates. Garnish with coriander leaves, onion
sprinkles, crushed fuchkas/nimkies.

5. Depending on your taste you can vary the amount of roasted masala and tamarind
juice.

This recipe was found on http://sutapa.com/contributed5.html#chotpoti

Tidbit: White pea is aka kabuli chana or if neither is available you may
use canned Garbanzo Beans aka Chick Peas