Street Icon · Crispy Hollow Puri

Fuchka

Photo: Pop & Zebra / Unsplash · Unsplash License

Fuchka is the Bengali name for the snack that much of northern India calls pani puri or golgappa, but the Bangladeshi version usually comes topped with grated egg.

Small, crisp, hollow fried puris are cracked open and filled with mashed potato, spiced yellow peas, onion and chili, topped with grated boiled egg, and served by the plateful with tangy tamarind water on the side. Fuchka carts are a fixture on Dhaka streets and near schools and parks.

Why it's made this way: Fuchka is built for instant, one-bite eating — the shell has to be filled and eaten right away before it goes soft, which is why it's almost always sold and consumed on the spot.