Kerala Houseboat Food: What You'll Eat on the Backwaters
By MyAlleppey Team
One of the best surprises of an Alleppey houseboat holiday is the food. Your on-board chef cooks every meal fresh in a compact kitchen at the back of the boat, and the results are extraordinary.
Breakfast is typically appam (soft rice pancakes with lacy edges) or puttu (steamed rice cylinders) served with a sweetened coconut milk or a light vegetable stew. Followed by fresh fruit and chai.
Lunch is the centrepiece — rice, fish curry, sambar, avial (a mixed vegetable dish in coconut and yogurt), thoran (dry coconut-based vegetable stir-fry), and pappadums. Everything is cooked in coconut oil, seasoned with curry leaves and mustard seeds.
Dinner is lighter — perhaps a fish fry, dal, rice, and a couple of curries. Many houseboats will grill your catch from the day's fishing activity.
Dietary requirements — vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free — can usually be accommodated if you let us know when booking.
Bring an appetite. The backwaters work up an hunger, and the food is always the highlight of the trip.