In the East, with its proximity to the Bay of Bengal there is a high consumption of fish. One of the delicacies called the hilsa, a type of shad of the herring family is spiced and wrapped in pumpkin leaf and cooked. Dahi Maachi, curried fish in yoghurt flavored with turmeric and ginger and malai, Curried Prawn with coconut are other popular dishes. East Indian cooking is also known for its use of poppy seeds and mustard. Mustard seeds are not used just as a spice but the seeds are crushed to give mustard oil, which is used for cooking, giving the food a distinctive flavor. Another unusual ingredient used in Bengali cooking is the bamboo shoot.

Milk sweets from this region like the Roshgolla, Sandesh, Cham-cham are world famous.