From vibrant street food stalls to elaborate feasts, you can expect all the foods from Bangladesh to pack a punch!

Be ready to indulge in savoury street food delights like crispy samosas and zingy pani puri, or treat yourself to the sweet decadence of creamy desserts like rasgulla and mishti doi. 

Get ready to explore 25 of the most popular foods from Bangladesh.

Staple Food in Bangladesh Cuisine

• Rice: In Bangladeshi cuisine, rice is the ultimate staple food, forming the cornerstone of most meals. Whether steamed, boiled, or transformed into fragrant biryanis, rice is a universal presence on the Bangladeshi dining table.
• Dahl, or lentils: These pulses play a vital role in Bangladesh cuisine, providing a rich source of protein and fibre. Dahl is often cooked into thick, tasty stews seasoned with spices like cumin, turmeric, and garlic, offering a satisfying and nutritious accompaniment to rice.
• Fish: Fish is special in Bangladeshi cuisine, with freshwater varieties like hilsa and rui being particularly beloved. Bangladesh is known as the “land of rivers” due to its extensive river network. Numerous rivers, both big and small, play a vital role in its geography, economy, and culture.
• Vegetables: Vegetables are also an essential component of Bangladeshi cuisine, with staples like potatoes, eggplants, and spinach. Whether stir-fried, curried, or incorporated into hearty vegetable stews, fresh produce adds colour, nutrition, and depth of flavour to food in Bangladesh.
• Flatbreads (Roti/Naan): While rice is the primary staple, various flatbreads, such as roti and naan, are also popular in Bangladesh. These breads are typically made from wheat flour and are enjoyed alongside curries and other dishes.

Top 25 Most Popular Foods from Bangladesh

1) Mutton Rezala

Rezala is a rich and creamy mutton (goat meat) curry.

Tender mutton pieces are cooked in a tasty sauce with cream, yoghurt, nuts (usually cashews), and perfumed spices such as cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. 

The sauce is mildly spiced, and the yoghurt and cream give the dish a rich and velvety texture. 

2) Haleem

Haleem is a thick and creamy dish made from a blend of meat, lentils, and wheat slow-cooked with aromatic spices until tender. 

Served hot and garnished with fried onions, coriander, and ginger, it’s a comforting and hardy meal enjoyed during festive occasions and Ramadan.

3) Grilled Chicken

Chicken pieces are marinated in a blend of spices, yoghurt, and sometimes herbs, before being grilled over charcoal or in a grill pan until they are cooked and slightly charred. 

The marinade infuses the chicken with incredible flavour and helps to keep it tender and juicy during the cooking process.

Grilled chicken is one of Bangladesh’s tastiest foods, and it’s best eaten with a basket of freshly cooked naan bread. Yum!

4) Paratha

Paratha is a popular type of flatbread made from wheat flour dough, which is rolled out into thin circles, brushed with oil or ghee (clarified butter), folded, rolled again, and then cooked on a grill until golden brown and crispy.

There are many variations of Paratha in Bangladesh, with some stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes (Aloo Paratha), minced meat (Keema Paratha), or grated vegetables. 

Others may be layered with ghee or butter, resulting in a flaky and rich texture.

Paratha is often served alongside flavourful curries, lentil dishes, or condiments like chutneys or pickles.

5) Puchka (Pani Puri)

In Bangladesh, Puchka, as Fuchka, is a street food snack consisting of hollow, crispy puris loaded with a spicy and zesty mixture known as “pani” (water). 

The pani is typically made from tamarind water, green chilli, mint, coriander, and other spices.

To prepare Puchka, the puris are first deep-fried until crisp and hollow. Then, they are carefully filled with the pani mixture, boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and sometimes diced onions. 

The puris are served immediately after filling, ensuring maximum freshness and flavour.

6) Kachchi Biryani

Kachchi Biryani is a special style of biryani where raw marinated meat is layered with partially cooked rice and slow-cooked together until fully cooked through. 

This slow-cooking method infuses the meat’s flavours into the rice, resulting in a fragrant and scrumptious dish.

What’s special about this dish is that it’s cooked in a clay oven. The cooking vessel is usually sealed with flour dough, which allows the biriyani to cook in its own steam.

7) Hilsa Fish Curry (Ilish Bhapa)

In this dish, fresh hilsa fish is marinated in a paste made from mustard seeds, green chillies, turmeric, and salt. The marinated fish is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Ilish Bhapa is often served with plain rice. Just wait until you taste the delicate flavours of the fish and spices!

This dish is particularly favoured during the monsoon season when hilsa fish is ample in Bangladesh’s rivers.

8) Bengali Khichuri

Khichuri is a comforting one-pot dish of rice, lentils, spices, and vegetables. 

It’s nutrient-rich and versatile. It’s often served hot with side dishes like fried eggplant, fish, vegetables, or pickles. 

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9) Morag Polao (Chicken Pilaf)

“Morog Polao” is a traditional Bangladeshi dish consisting of fragrant rice cooked with chicken (Morog means chicken in Bengali) and an assortment of aromatic spices.

To prepare, chicken pieces are first marinated with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and a blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli powder. The marinated chicken is then grilled with onions until golden brown.

Parboiled rice is added to the chicken along with water or chicken broth, and the mixture is simmered until the rice is cooked through and fluffy, absorbing the flavours and juices of the chicken and spices.

Morog Polao is often garnished with fried onions, cashews, raisins, and fresh coriander leaves before serving.

10) Bhuna

Spicy and delicious curry cooked with onions, tomatoes, and fragrant spices.

“Bhuna” refers to the cooking technique where the meat is cooked with spices over high heat, allowing the flavours to intensify and the sauce to thicken.

As the meat cooks, it releases juices, which combine with the charred spices and onions to create a thick and aromatic gravy. 

The dish is cooked until the meat (usually beef or mutton) is super tender, and the sauce has reduced to a rich and thick consistency.

11) Misti Doi (Sweet Yoghurt)

Misti Doi is made by caramelising sugar and adding it to boiled milk, then fermented with yoghurt culture overnight.

The caramelisation of sugar gives this dessert its distinct amber colouring and rich, caramel-like flavour. The fermentation process imparts a tangy taste to the yoghurt while also thickening its texture.

The result is a creamy and sweet dessert, a local favourite!

12) Bhorta (Mashed Vegetables)

Bhorta is a popular food in Bangladesh. It is made from mashed vegetables or lentils seasoned with mustard oil, onions, green chillies, and sometimes garlic and spices.

Vegetables like eggplant, potatoes, or beans are boiled or roasted until tender, then mashed with a fork or a traditional mortar and pestle. 

The mashed vegetables are mixed with mustard oil, chopped onions, green chillies, and other desired seasonings, creating a mouthwatering and aromatic dish.

Bhorta is often served as a side dish or accompaniment to rice and curry.

13) Rasgulla

Rasgulla is a popular sweet dessert in Bangladesh, as well as in the broader Indian subcontinent. 

It is made from chhena (cheese similar to cottage cheese) and sugar syrup.

To prepare rasgulla, chhena is kneaded into a smooth dough and then shaped into small balls. These balls are then boiled in a cardamom or rose water flavoured sugar syrup until they expand and become absorbent. 

The cooked rasgullas are soaked in sugar syrup, allowing them to soak the sweetness and flavour.

14) Dosa

Dosa, a beloved South Indian dish, has found popularity in Bangladesh and beyond.

Made from a fermented batter of rice and black lentils, dosa is a thin, crispy crepe cooked on a hot grill.

Its batter is left to ferment overnight, giving it a slightly sour flavour and airy texture. Once poured onto the grill, dosa cooks until crisp on one side before being flipped briefly.

It can be served plain or stuffed with fillings like spiced potatoes or vegetables, often accompanied by chutneys and stew (sambar).

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15) Chingri Malai Curry 

This classic Bengali dish features prawns (chingri) cooked in a deliciously rich and creamy coconut milk-based sauce.

To prepare Chingri Malai Curry, prawns are typically marinated with turmeric, salt, and sometimes mustard paste before being cooked in a sauce made from coconut milk, onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, and a blend of aromatic spices such as cumin, coriander, and garam masala.

This dish is best eaten with rice or naan, one of my go-to foods from Bangladesh.

16) Ras Malai

Ras Malai is a popular dessert in Bangladesh made from soft cottage cheese balls soaked in sweetened, spiced milk. 

It’s a rich and indulgent treat often garnished with nuts and served chilled.

This is a firm local favourite regarding dessert foods from Bangladesh.

17) Seven Layer Tea

Seven Layer Tea, also known as “Seven Colour Tea” originating from Sylhet in Bangladesh, is a visually striking beverage served in select tea stalls.

It features distinct layers of condensed milk, coloured syrups, evaporated milk, and strong black tea.

Each layer contributes to the drink’s flavour and appearance, and it’s one of the must-try experiences if you do visit Sylhet, one of our favourite places in Bangladesh.

18) Falooda

Falooda is a cold dessert beverage made with milk, rose syrup, and vermicelli noodles as a base. It sounds odd, I know, but it works!

It’s often layered with basil seeds, jelly pieces, and sometimes ice cream. 

The combination of creamy milk, rose syrup, and varied textures make it a refreshing and indulgent treat enjoyed during hot weather or as a sweet ending to a meal.

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19) Chotpoti

Chotpoti is one of the most popular street snack foods from Bangladesh, a tasty mixture of spicy, zesty ingredients. 

It typically includes boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, chickpeas, chopped onions, green chillies, and different spices, all mixed with tamarind sauce, chilli sauce, and, you guessed it, mustard oil. 

The dish is often garnished with chopped coriander, crushed, crispy fried puris, and sometimes boiled lentils or chopped cucumbers.

20) Naan 

Naan is probably one of the foods that requires no introduction. It’s a very popular flatbread found all over the subcontinent, particularly famous in Indian cuisine.

It is usually eaten with kababs and tandoori meats. Although it is not a traditional Bengali food, it has become universal in all kabab houses.

21) Dahl (Lentil Curry)

Dahl is a type of pulse widely used in cooking and rich in protein and dietary fibre.

Lentils are boiled with water and seasoned with cumin, turmeric, garlic, and ginger to prepare dahl. The cooked lentils can be served as a soup-like dish or thicker curry-like consistency.

It is typically served with rice or flatbreads like roti or naan, and it can also be enjoyed alongside other dishes as part of a larger meal. 

22) Baingan Bhaja (Fried Eggplant)

Crispy fried disks of eggplant seasoned with turmeric and chilli powder, a simple yet delicious side dish.

Baingan Bhaja is typically served as a side dish or accompaniment to rice and dahl, adding texture to the meal.

23) Roti

Roti (also known as chapati) is a type of unleavened flatbread, a staple in Bangladeshi cuisine and various other cuisines, including South Asian, Southeast Asian, Caribbean and Southeast African nations.

It is made from whole wheat flour, water, and salt, kneaded into a dough and then rolled out into thin circles.

These circles are cooked on a hot grill or tawa until they puff up and develop a slightly charred exterior.

Roti is commonly used to scoop up curries, lentils, stews, and other delicious foods from Bangladesh.

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24) Piyaju (Lentil Fritters)

Made from soaked and ground lentils, typically yellow split peas or moong dahl, it’s mixed with spices, onions, green chillies, and fresh coriander to add freshness.

This mixture is then shaped into small patties and deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.

Piyaju is cherished for its crunchy exterior and fluffy, tasty interior, making it one of the beloved street food snacks in Bangladesh.

It’s often served hot and paired with tamarind or mint chutney.

25) Seekh Kabab

Seekh Kabab in Bangladesh, much like its counterparts elsewhere, is a popular grilled or barbecued dish made from minced meat, typically beef, mutton, or chicken.

The meat is mixed with spices, herbs, and sometimes onions or garlic moulded onto metal skewers.

Then, grilled or barbecued until perfection is achieved, the kababs have a slightly charred exterior.

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We’ve reached the end of our delicious list of the most popular foods from Bangladesh. Have you tried Bangladeshi cuisine? What is your favourite dish? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in Asia. We recommend eSIM. It’s easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual Asian countries, or consider a regional eSIM for Asia (which covers 18 countries).

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If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. View the best deals on group tours in Asia.

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