Fifteen Dishes at Lunch Alone
From the first tender coconut to your morning cup of tea, every meal is part of the journey. The Luxury menu is the longest of the four: karimeen, prawns roast and chicken 65 all share the lunch table with a soup course, payasam and seasonal fruit, and dinner runs to twelve dishes served after the boat moors.
The Luxury houseboat package includes a welcome drink of tender coconut or fresh juice with banana chips, a fifteen-item Kerala lunch with karimeen fry, prawns roast, chicken 65, vegetable thoran, mezhukkupuratti, cauliflower stew, soup, payasam, banana kalan or curd, papad, salad, pickle and seasonal fruit, evening tea with fritters and cashew nuts, a twelve-item dinner including chicken roast, karimeen stew, fish fry, paneer masala and gobi manchurian, and a breakfast of juice, cornflakes, bread and eggs, idly or dosai sambar, or a traditional Kerala breakfast. All meals are cooked on board and included in the package price.
Welcome Drink
On boarding, around 12:00 PM
Tender coconut, cut fresh, or a chilled juice - served on the deck with banana chips while the crew casts off.
- Vegetarian
Tender coconut or fresh juice
- Vegetarian
Banana chips or snacks
Lunch
Around 1:30 PM, while cruising
Fifteen dishes, served while the boat moves through the canals. Karimeen from the backwaters, prawns roasted in a thick masala and chicken 65 share the table with a soup course, payasam and cut seasonal fruit.
- Vegetarian
Rice
- Vegetarian
Sambar
- Non-vegetarian
Karimeen fry (pearl spot fish)
- Non-vegetarian
Prawns roast
- Non-vegetarian
Chicken 65
- Vegetarian
Vegetable thoran
- Vegetarian
Mezhukkupuratti (long beans)
- Vegetarian
Cauliflower stew
- Vegetarian
Soup (sweet corn or tomato)
- Vegetarian
Payasam
- Vegetarian
Banana kalan or curd
- Vegetarian
Papad
- Vegetarian
Salad
- Vegetarian
Pickle
- Vegetarian
Tropical seasonal fruit
Evening Snacks
Around 4:00 PM
Tea or coffee with something hot from the pan, plus cashew nuts or banana chips to pick at while the sun drops behind the palms.
- Vegetarian
Tea or coffee
- Vegetarian
Banana fritters or onion pakoras
- Vegetarian
Cashew nuts or banana chips
Dinner
Around 8:00 PM, moored for the night
Twelve dishes after the boat moors. Karimeen appears again as a stew, paneer masala and gobi manchurian hold the vegetarian side of the table, and it closes with fruit salad and fresh juice.
- Vegetarian
Chappathi
- Vegetarian
White rice
- Vegetarian
Dal curry
- Non-vegetarian
Chicken roast
- Non-vegetarian
Karimeen stew (pearl spot fish)
- Non-vegetarian
Fish fry
- Vegetarian
Paneer masala
- Vegetarian
Vendakka mezhukkupuratti (okra)
- Vegetarian
Gobi manchurian
- Vegetarian
Vegetable salad
- Vegetarian
Fruit salad
- Vegetarian
Fresh juice
BreakfastAny one
Around 8:00 AM, before check-out
Juice and cornflakes, a full plate of bread, butter, jam and eggs, idly or dosai with sambar, or the traditional Kerala breakfast - puttu and kadala, egg curry or appam.
- Vegetarian
Tea or coffee
- Vegetarian
Fresh fruit juice, cornflakes
- Non-vegetarian
Bread, butter, jam, eggs
- Vegetarian
Idly sambar
- Vegetarian
Dosai sambar
- Non-vegetarian
Traditional Kerala breakfast: puttu kadala, egg curry or appam
Add-On Dishes You Can Pre-Order
Celebrating something, or want the backwaters' best seafood on the table? These are cooked fresh on board alongside your usual menu.
Jumbo prawns roast
Roasted in a thick Kerala masala
Crab masala
Backwater crab, cracked and cooked to order
Duck roast
Kuttanadan style, slow-roasted
Add-ons are charged on top of your package and need to be ordered at least a day before the cruise, so the crew can buy them fresh that morning. Ask our team for current prices and availability.
A note on the menu
Menus may vary slightly depending on the houseboat, seasonal availability, and the selected package. Specific menu items can be confirmed with our team before your trip.
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
All Alleppey Houseboats
Browse the full fleet with live prices and availability.
Deluxe, Premium & Luxury
What actually changes between the three categories.
Alleppey Day Cruise
A few hours on the backwaters with lunch on board.
Overnight Houseboat Stays
Sunset cruise, a night moored, misty morning.
Honeymoon & Couple Houseboats
Private charters for two, with candlelit dinners.
Kerala Houseboat Packages
Multi-day trips built around a backwater cruise.
Luxury Menu FAQs
What food is included in a Luxury houseboat package?
A welcome drink of tender coconut or fresh juice with banana chips, a fifteen-item Kerala lunch with karimeen fry, prawns roast and chicken 65 alongside thoran, mezhukkupuratti, cauliflower stew, soup, payasam, papad, salad, pickle and seasonal fruit, evening tea with fritters and cashew nuts, a twelve-item dinner, and breakfast the next morning. Everything is included in the package price.
What makes the Luxury menu different from Premium?
Scale and range. Luxury lunch runs to fifteen dishes against eleven on Premium, adds prawns roast, chicken 65, a soup course and seasonal fruit, and starts with tender coconut rather than a standard welcome drink. Dinner grows from seven dishes to twelve, including karimeen stew, paneer masala and gobi manchurian.
Is vegetarian food available on a Luxury houseboat?
Yes, and more of it is already on the printed menu than on the other tiers. Paneer masala, gobi manchurian, cauliflower stew, vegetable thoran, mezhukkupuratti, dal curry and vegetable salad are all standard. If you want a fully vegetarian cruise, tell us when you book and the chef prepares paneer or vegetable dishes in place of the seafood and chicken.
Is the food cooked on board?
Yes. Every Luxury houseboat has a full kitchen and a chef who cruises with you. A fifteen-dish lunch is cooked while the boat is moving and served course by course from the galley.
Can I request a specific meal or celebration menu?
Yes. Luxury boats take special requests most readily - anniversary and honeymoon cakes, a candlelit dinner on the upper deck, or premium seafood such as jumbo prawns, crab or duck at extra cost. Ask at least a day ahead so ingredients can be bought fresh.
Ready to Taste Kerala from the Backwaters?
Choose your houseboat and let us take care of the rest.