The meal starts from something bitter, graduating slowly to the more tastier items, and finally culminating in the sweets/ desserts.

Neem Patta Fry:
Neem leaves are deep fried. The crispy neem leaves are one of the most bitter things that exist on the face of earth.

Karela Fry:
Charratis/ Bitter Gourd fry, this is another bitter item. It does not compare with neem in bitterness, though.

Shukto:
Shukto is a curry of melange of vegetables, and has a relatively bland taste, and a huge fan following. Shukto may be of different types. Click here to see a Lau Shukto recipe.

Dal: This is essentially a lentil soup. Different varieties exist, especially for different regions of India. For a typical Bengali Dal recipe, click here.

Begun Bhaja:
A Bengali would die for a auburgine fry along with his Dal. Dal has many accompaniments, viz., Phulkopi Bhaja (Cauliflower Fry), Aloo Bhaja (Potato fry), et al. However, Begun Bhaja is by far the most preferred accompaniment. Click here to see a recipe for Begun Bhaja.

Murighanto:
This is the head of a big fish cooked with rice.

Machher Kalia:
Prime cuts of fish cooked with Kali Jeera (Black Cumin seeds).

Mutton Curry:
Beef is generally a no-go at Indian homes. Traditionally, chicken was not preferred meat. That leaves out lamb. Traditionally speaking, lamb cooked with cumin powder has been Bengali's most preferred meat.

Chutney:
Chuney is the item after the main courses, and before the dessert. It has a sweet-sour taste, and is prepared from a variety of ingredients, viz., tomato, dates, pineapple, plum, gooseberry, etc,

Mishti Doi:
This is nothing but plain vanilla yogurt, but a Bengali meal is not complete without this.

Sweets:
Bengalis are known all over India for their sweet tooth. Rosogolla is the favorite Bengali sweet. Other favorites include Malpoa, and Gulabjamun.

Madhu:
It is customary to end the meal with a dash of honey.

Paan:
Paan is made from the paan leaf, and many herbs & spices. Depending on the ingredients, paan can be very cheap or pretty expensive, with values ranging from as little as 4 cents to even upto 20 dollars for a single paan.

(Photos soon)