Chotpoti

Chotpoti

Chotpoti is a roadside dish popular in West Bengal, India. Chotpoti is thought to be of Bengali origin. It is spicy, sour and hot in taste. The snack is very popular owing to its availability, low price and ease of preparation. It is mostly sold in roadside stands and in various fast food stores. It can also be prepared at home.

Ingredients:::

Ingredients

1. Dried white peas or chickpeas (known as Kaabli)
2. Small red potatoes
3. Tamarind paste
4. Chaat Masala (Found in Indian grocery stores)
5. Salad::
• Chopped boiled egg
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped green chili pepper (hot)
• Chopped tomato
• Chopped cucumber (optional)
• Chopped red onions
• Pani puri shell (Found in Indian grocery stores)
• Some extra chaat masala (optional)
• Tamarind Sauce (recipe given below)
• Tamarind paste
• Ground cumin
• Red chili powder
• Sugar
• Water

Method:::

The peas:

• Wash and soak the peas in water in the refrigerator overnight. I soaked it for two or three days since I did not find time to make it on the day I wanted to. Soaking more reduced the time to boil the peas.
• Boil the peas slowly for hours (if needed) until they are soft. The peas will be very soft and you should be able to mash them with your fingers.
• Drain the extra water and again put it on low heat. 
• Add the chopped and boiled potatoes to the peas.
• Add chaat masala according to your taste. You will need almost the whole packet. Add slowly and keep tasting until it is good enough for you.
• Add some salt if you need.
• Cook for a while (10/15 minutes).
• Back home, at street side, they keep cooking the peas all day, and so it is super soft. They serve it right from the hot pot.
• You can store some of the cooked peas in the freezer for later use, but I recommend serving fresh.

The sauce:

• In a pot take a few tablespoons of tamarind paste.
• Add some water. The sauce is almost liquid, not like a paste.
• Add some red chili powder and cumin powder. Add freshly ground cumin for the best taste.
• Add some sugar.
• Mix and bring to a boil.
• Simmer for few minutes and it is ready.

Serving:

• Take warm cooked peas in a lunch plate (smaller than dinner plates).
• Add a few teaspoons of the sauce that you made, and mix well.
• Crack one or two pani puri shells. 
• Since we are short of time here, I did not make the shells. Back home, the shells used for chotpoti are originally made for another snack called fuchka, which is almost like chotpoti with some minor difference.
• Add cilantro, tomato, green chili, eggs, onions, cucumber. Use a teaspoon to consume.
• ENJOY!