What's the fundamental difference between Bangladesh/Bengali cuisine and Indian cuisine?

Question

What's the fundamental difference between Bangladesh/Bengali cuisine and Indian cuisine?

Answer 1

Bengali cuisine from the state of Bengal is INDIAN!  

Bangladeshi food is from the country Bangladesh.

One large huge difference is that Bangladeshi cuisine contains many beef dishes.  You will not find any beef dishes in Bengali cuisine from India.  

Bangladeshi cuisine also uses much more coconut milk, dried fish, less spices, less dairy and milk, more root vegetables.... in comparison to Bengali food from India.

Answer 2

I'm from Bangladesh and a novice in cooking section. I have visited the West Bengal side of India (Kolkata) thrice and twice in New Delhi and once in Mumbai.

What I saw at restaurant food category is that there are slight differences in cooking style and tastes. Apart from the items religiously forbidden, like pork, turtles etc., for the Muslims and Beef for the Hindus, the vegetables, fish and other protein and other nutritional items are identically prepared with slight hint of special fragrances found in Indian dishes.

The fundamental differences are may be the less use of spices in Bangladeshi foods owing to the fact that people can not afford those costly varieties of spices the Indians use on daily basis.

People from coastal areas of Bangladesh do take curries with dried fish (Shutki) an ingredient that I did not find much use in Kolkata. However, we never use coconut milk or sweet fruits (pineapple) with spicy curries those style of cooking I saw in Malaysian food during my short visits.

Bangladeshi Pillaow, Biryani, Rezala and such special items of treat in wedding ceremonies are identical to the Indian such dishes. I think these Bangladeshi recipes are 'imported' from the Indian recipes, since the proliferation of such food items increased many fold after our liberation in 1971 and close tie with India there on.

Btw, the cooking style between Mumbai and Karachi are also having some distinct colour and taste as those between Dhaka and Kolkata. I commend the cleanliness maintained during cooking and also at the time of service in Indian restaurant than what we have in Dhaka and Karachi. My understanding is that the Indians (Hindus) take food as part of their religious rituals and do whatever it takes to maintain its sanctity. I miss this type of dedication among my own Muslim communities in Bangladesh, as well as what I saw in Pakistan.

Answer 3

Bengalis and Bangledesh people are largely Muslim whereas traditional Indian cuisine is Hindu.  So the meat taboo's are different.  But there is a great deal of commonality in spicing and technique.  Before the partition the populations were less segregated and shared many things.