Bangali food has inherited a large number of influences, both foreign and Indian, from both a turbulent history and strong trade links with many parts of the world. Bengal is fairly ancient; originally a Dravidian and tribal society, that was eventually settled by the Aryans during the Gupta era and then by various Muslim rulers since the early thirteenth century. The tribals were hunter gatherers in the dense forests of the Sunderbans while the rest of Bengal was heavily agrarian, farming the extremely fertile Ganges delta for rice, vegetables and cash crops such as jute. There was also significant pisciculture in ponds and lakes, along with fishing in the many rivers.
The Spread of Islam and Mughal influence The Islamic influence came to Bengal a few hundred years after its arrival on the western borders of India through wandering Sufi saints, and later through administrative governors appointed by the Islamic rulers of Delhi and Agra. Bengal was always loosely under Muslim rule soon after the late thirteenth century, first under the Turks, Afghans and the Mughals. Since then a large percentage of the population had converted to Islam. However, while the religion propagated in the populace, the region remained isolated from the political and religious centres of Muslim India. This meant that people retained many of their local customs and specially food habits. Dhaka (Bangladesh), in particular, expanded greatly under Mughal rule. The influence on the food was top-down, and gradual. This led to a unique cuisine where even the common man ate the dishes of the royal court, such as biryani, korma and bhunas.
The influence was re-inforced in the Raj era, when undivided Bengal became the place of refuge for many prominent exlied Nawabs. The exiles brought with them hundreds of cooks and masalchis (spice mixers), and as their royal patronage and wealth diminished, they interspersed into the local population. These highly accomplished cooks came with the knowledge of a very wide range of spices (most notably saffron, nutmeg and mace), the extensive use of ghee as a method of cooking, and special ways of marinating meats. This has remained, more than the other categories, the food of professional chefs. Specialities include chaap (ribs slow cooked on a tawa), rezala (meat in a thin yogurt and cardamom gravy) and the famous shik kebabs.
The local population absorbed some of the ingredients and techniques into their daily food, resulting in beef or meat-based varieties of many traditional vegetarian dishes, but by and large the foods remained distinct. The Influence of the widows In medieval Bengal the treatment of Hindu widows was much more proscribed than common elsewhere. They led very monastic lives within the household and lived under strict dietary restrictions. Traditional cuisine was deeply influenced by them; they were usually the important contributors to the kitchen since they were not allowed any interests but religion and housework.
Their ingenuity and skill led to many culinary practices; simple spice combinations, the ability to prepare small quantities (since widows often ate alone) and creative use of the simplest of cooking techniques. Since widows were banned ‘impassioning’ condiments such as onion or garlic, most traditional Bangali vegetarian recipes don’t use them. This treatment of widows in Bengal continued until fairly recently; the effect on the cuisine was to preserve many of the dishes and techniques of the old in purest form