Top 10 Must-Try Street Foods in Dhaka That Define Its Flavor

1. Fuchka

Fuchka is Bangladesh‘s favourite street snack : crispy shells stuffed with tamarind water, mashed potatoes, and spices.  It explodes with sweetness, sourness, and spiciness in each bite, a true reflection of Dhaka’s street food culture.

2. Haleem

Haleem is a popular street dish in Dhaka, particulièrement autour de Ramadan. Bangladeshi Haleem differs from the other versions in that it contains tender bits of meat and pieces of bones cooked in a rich stew of lentils, providing intense flavour and texture in every mouthful.

3. Rasgulla

Soft, spongy, and drenched in sweet syrup, Rasgulla is Dhaka’s most popular traditional dessert.  Served at festivities and family reunions, this Bengali dessert is light in texture and melts in the mouth avec sa douceur. It’s a must-have dessert from the city’s sweet stores as well as roadside stalls.

4. Chotpoti

Chotpoti is among Dhaka’s favourite street foods, packed full de saveurs. Comprising white peas, potatoes, onions, chillies, and tamarind sauce, il provides an ideal combination of sweet, sour, and spicy in each mouthful. Served hot and topped with sliced eggs, it’s a treat everyone should try on any street corner in Bangladesh.

5. Mishti Doi

A Sweet Bengali Classic Mishti Doi is the most popular traditional dessert in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  It’s rich, creamy, and caramel-like.  Prepared using thickened milk and jaggery, chilled in clay pots, it’s the ultimate end to any meal and the Bengali hospitality that one would ever require.

6. Jhalmuri

A favourite street food in Dhaka, Jhalmuri is a fiery combination of puffed rice, mustard oil, green chillies, onions, and tangy spices.  Fast, cheap, and full of flavour, it’s a favourite among locals looking for a light yet fierce pick-me-up.

7. Shingara

Shingara is one of Dhaka’s favourite street foods — a crunchy, deep-fried triangular snack stuffed with spiced potatoes, peas, or, occasionally, minced meat. It’s particularly well-loved as an afternoon snack with tea, and it’s usually hot and fresh from roadside stalls, office canteens, and traditional confectionery shops all over the city.  Inexpensive and savoury, Shingara is a real comfort morsel for Bangladeshis.

8. Kalojam

Kalojam is Dhaka’s most popular traditional sweet, rich and dark in colour.  Prepared from khoya (milk solids), it is deep-fried golden brown (nearly black) and then immersed in sugar syrup. It is a heavier, richer version of the Rasgulla, which is popular everywhere in Dhaka. Being available in all the sweet shops of Dhaka, Kalojam is an essential dessert which highlights the city’s abiding passion for sweet treats.

9. Dim Roll

Dim Roll, or egg roll, is a popular street food in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  A soft-fried paratha wrapped around a fried spiced egg, crisp veggies, and sour sauces makes for the perfect affordable, filling, and flavour-packed quick snack for busy workers and students on the move.

10. Beef/Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma has also become a sensation on Dhaka streets among youth and late-night eaters.  Filled with grilled beef or chicken, crispy veggies, and zesty sauces — all stuffed in tender pita bread — it’s a fast, tasty bite with Middle Eastern origins and a Bangladeshi twist.

Read Also: Top 15 cafes in Dhaka who has active in high social media follow