Kerala INDIAN FOOD on a Houseboat + Exploring the Backwaters | Alappuzha, India

So you have to show the whole thing? Oh, mmm, the coconut oil, wow. Good afternoon, everyone. This is David Hoffman from David's Been Here in beautiful Alapura, Kerala, India, the backwaters. Look how beautiful this place is. Palm trees, we have rice fields, we have hundreds of houseboats. There's like 800 houseboats out here. We're on one of them, a three bedroom. This place is epic. Look at this. Just gorgeous, peaceful scenery. Today what we're gonna do is we're gonna explore the backwaters, we're gonna go see a church, we're gonna go fishing, we might go to a market and get some crabs and some shrimp, and then we're gonna have some dinner. I am so excited, I'm gonna jump in the water. Evan. Hi. How you doing? Great, I'm enjoying with you, actually. The place is so beautiful. I believe you are also enjoying, am I? I'm loving it, I'm loving it. So you can see that paddy fields. If you're coming to Alleppey, there are different seasons and all the seasons are having different, different color. They are all beautiful. Now, it is green. After some more months, it will look golden because the paddy will grow big and rices will be ready to be harvested. That's the local transportation. Beautiful time we are enjoying here. We'll try for fishing. If we get something, we'll try to cast net and if we get something, we'll try to cook that as well. Tonight. The best time to visit Alleppey is between November to Jan end, beginning of February. Yeah, that's the best time. From February onwards, it is warm. It's going to be very hot. And by May, June, July, August, it's monsoon, heavily rain. David, this is Basilica of St. Mary's, Chambakulam. Chambakulam is the place name. Basilica of St. Mary's. It is somewhere around 1,500 years old. AD 427, something like that. What? Yeah. Quick history lesson. St. Thomas the Apostle arrived in India in the year 52 AD. Yes. That's crazy. He lived and died here. Yes, he lived here for almost 30 years. AD 72 or something like that, he passed away. In Tamil Nadu, near to Chennai. So is there a huge Christian population in this area? Because I see it here. I haven't really seen it in the north. It's more in this area. Yeah, almost 26% of Kerala population are Christians. 26, more than 26%. It is, as I said, St. Mary's Basilica. Let's see the church. There is also a cross, which is very old. We'll see that cross on the other side. All right, so this is the church. As you can see, you have some blue carpet, the chairs, you can take them out. It's not like, you know, most churches in Europe where the benches are all lined up and you can't remove them. And then, as you can see in the far end, you have a few different angels. At the top, you have Jesus Christ, angels, Mary. And over there at the very top, you have the Last Supper. Really beautiful, colorful church. Obviously, we're in India, lots of colors here. Let's continue and let's see the cross. And right here, we have the oldest cross from the property. We don't know if it's 1,000 years old, but it's really, really old. Obviously, the church that was here is over 1,000 years old. Here it is, beautiful cross. And right here, as you can see, you also have the cross again. And you have over here, like, really, really old, I don't know what language that is. It's Malayalam. It's Malayalam? Okay, wow. So, that's it. We saw the basilica, we saw the cross. Now, let's get back on the boat and go to the market, fishing. Let's continue. The church is like, man, it's grand, huh? Huge. This area, they have all these little houses, and then you have this massive basilica. Got some fish right there. Look at the little fish. Oh, cute. Now, let's get back on the boat. What are they? David, let's have some evening snacks. Not evening, late afternoon snacks, we can say. And chai, if you wanted to have chai, ginger tea. Yes, ginger tea. And what is that right there? This is parampuri, we call it parampuri. Banana fry, banana not plantain, they are plantains. And this is bread, bread fried. Fried bread. Fried plantains and fried bread with some ginger chai. That's the best. So this is, oh, too hot. Fried plantain. I'll tell you, this tastes like a maduro. Maduro is basically a plantain in Latin America. Same thing, but here you have the fried. No. You can try all different varieties. Now, you should try this one as well. Fried bread? Yeah, it's not like a local food. No? Fried bread. Basically like French toast. This is, okay, we call different, this is a bit salted and spicy. And this one, spice with banana, no, plantain. So it's sweet and spicy, contrast. It's sweet and spicy, not spicy. Mushy in the middle. So good. I eat plantains and bananas all day long. So you can see the cumin seeds here. And this is a batter. They just dip plantains inside the batter and then deep fry it. And the plantain is really ripe. Tastes very good. Nice. So last thing to do is to dip the bread into the chai. Just dip, let the inside, it's still fluffy, absorb it. All right, ooh, like that. Whoa. The dough, the cumin, with the delicious ginger, man. Yeah. If you're interested in running out of houseboat and staying overnight, this is how it works. Check-in is at noon, then you go out, you have lunch, you explore, you have dinner, sleep, wake up, have breakfast, and check-out is at 9 a.m. It costs 30,000 rupees and accommodates six people. Three bedrooms, six people. That comes with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, activities, the entire staff. I think it's a bargain. You have to do it. I mean, this is a must. If you're coming to Kerala, come do this. If you're going to India, add this to your itinerary at the flight down here. There's four airports you can go to. Kannur, Calicut, Trivapuram, and Kochi, you got it. I haven't been up there yet, but I'm going. But yeah, this is an experience. All right, my turn, my man. Let me take the wheel. We're about 10 minutes out from the market. As you can see, we're crossing through the backwaters. Tons of boats. I mean, you see a boat every three or four seconds here. Crazy amount of boats. You have houses, lots of churches. That's what I see the most of, lots of churches. Over here, we have a temple. Yeah, this is a temple. That's a Hindu temple. Yeah, Hindu temple. This is a temple. There was another temple some time back. We did not see. I mean, we were shooting on the other side. So, churches, plenty of them. I do not recommend doing this, but I'm doing something crazy here in Kerala. If you fall into the water, no worries. It's only six meters deep. There's no crocodiles, no alligators, nothing scary in these waters. Just fish, maybe some otters. You don't go swimming in this water, though. Wow, this is amazing. Woo! God's own country. We are here. Let's say it's a fish center. It's not a market, okay? Yeah, this is like a little convenience store, right? Little convenience store. There's some coolers here with fresh fish. They're all nice, right? They're not live fish. Whoa, look at this. This is awesome. I'll take you. Don't worry. Hello. Hi. And here we have some freshwater crabs. So what type of crab is this? Does he know? Oh my God, I tried to. Yeah, yeah. No, he tried to get me. Nice. Wow, look at that. So many. What fish is that? Sea fish, sir. Sea fish. Black clam. So in these coolers, we have tons of different fish. We have tuna, snapper. Which one is this? Kairimin, pearl spot. Pearl spot, that's what we ate earlier, huh? And over here we have the kingfish. This is the one we've been eating every single day. This is actually my favorite fish in Kerala. It's the one with the least bones. It has one spine in the center. Prawns, we are going to buy some of them. What are the prawns? Yeah. Oh wow. Tons of prawns. These are big prawns. Are these tiger prawns? Then we're gonna buy some for dinner. Tiger prawns? The way you can tell they're tiger prawns, they have like tiger stripes and they're really, really big. Yeah. Right, yeah. Wow, so we're gonna get some? Fry them? They're medium-sized tiger prawns, not very big ones. I mean, they're not small, small. They're like a little bigger. Yeah, I know the big ones are huge. We got a few prawns. We got a toothbrush and toothpaste. Forgot mine. Let's go. Yeah. That's awesome. So we are going for casting the nets. Bye, bye. As you can see, the sun is setting. It's almost gone. We're trying to really hurry up as fast as possible to get the nets and cast them. I really wanna catch some fish. What fish do we have here? Like tiny fish, right? Tiny, big, all are there. Feral spots. There are plenty of feral spots, but we may or may not get feral spots. We cannot get feral spots so easily. Look. That's it? He is casting nets there. So you can see, there's a country boat. The fisherman is catching fish there. This is the docking place for most of the ships. Okay. When they finish their cruise. If overnight stays there, they will come here. They will park the houseboats and then take rest. Are we here? Are we staying here? We are going to stay here. So we passed through this little canal crossing from that like big waterway to this waterway. And there, there was like a tiny little, I guess a little strip you can cross through. Yes. And up to 5 p.m., you can't cross. Up to 5 p.m., that ferry will be kept in the middle. And there's a road, the cars, buses, and all those things pass through. So after 5 p.m., they will remove the ferry. Then houseboats and other boats can come through. And this is a bigger lake, bigger part of the lake. We'll go through that and we'll go to the other side. We'll park our houseboat there. And then we go for casting nets. We're about to park where we're sleeping tonight. And the guy who has the nets is right here. Let's go. Whoa. Evan, that guy almost tripped, man. Yeah, this is a single bed with an upper deck. So I mean, it's like a third of ours, right? Dude, I almost fell. That was a plank, man. I walked a plank. So there is a paddy field there, the other side. But we are not going to cast nets there. We will cast nets. If we cast nets there, we're gonna catch a bunch of rice. This is a little convenience store right here next to where everybody parks. So here's our buddy that's taking us out to catch some fish. As you can see, he got the net. He's gonna take us around the corner, throw the net, catch some fish. The only problem is it's getting really, really dark right now. So hopefully we can see in the dark and the mosquitoes are coming out. I wanna get back on the boat soon. So hopefully we got something. Small fish, I'm sure. Tiny fish. Yeah, tiny fish feel good. I hope so. Oh yeah. So we caught a few fish. They're very, very small. We're gonna throw them back in. We're gonna try one more time, see if we catch anything big. Yeah, I think that's the best lure we're gonna have here is tiny, tiny fish. Nothing else. It's not good though. We saw how he does it. You usually do this from the canoe, right? So from the canoe, deeper water. Right here, it's very shallow. So you always can get tiny, tiny fish. All right, I think we're done with the fishing because it's super dark. We can't see anything. We're gonna go back to the boat and have some dinner and relax. I think we're gonna try the coconut wine. The coconut wine is a famous drink here in Corolla. So they make wine out of coconut. As soon as the sun set, it became so dark out here. If you don't have your phone with a flashlight, you can't see anything. There's mosquitoes everywhere. We're gonna get back into the house, but right now I have to cross this ladder. Hold on. Here we go. All right. Oh, it's dark. Super dark. All right. Let me get in here. So as soon as we walked into the houseboat, it was completely dark. And the reason for that is because they can't turn the lights on because all the mosquitoes are just flocked straight into the boat. So they waited till we were inside. They closed all the doors and they put the light switch on. Thank God, because there's no mosquitoes in here now. And what is this? This is Taddy. Coconut Taddy. Yeah. Cheers. To food and travel. Sour, no? Super sour. It's like a super, it's okay. It's milkish. Like it's like very cloudy. Yeah. Is there a lot of alcohol here? Not much, no? Not much alcohol. Like what, 4%? Like very little. Maybe like, yeah. Yeah. Not so bad. It's good. So this is what locals drink here? Yeah. So how, they pull it out of the coconut? I don't get how they make it. The process is. It's like they're stealing a coconut? They tap coconut, that flour. They collect the nectar inside the pot. After maybe around eight hours or something like that, we get this one. By the way, alcohol is injurious to health and it is mandated to mention that. But enjoy. See, our prawns are ready for frying. These are marinated with ginger, garlic and green chili paste. Also, they have added some garam masala. It's a mixture of masalas here. Masalas means spices. And also black pepper. So they are going to fry it in coconut oil and we are going to cook it. Ha ha ha ha. This is Maloni Durgi. David, you should try this. Try it? Yeah, this is chutney. You can try like this? Yeah. Mmm. Crazy like chili. It's spicy. Ha ha ha. Yeah, it's spicy, super flavorful. I think crunchy, moist. And also they have added shallots here. Wow, it's the best. Yeah. Shallots and coconut oil. They add a little bit of coconut oil. If you use olive oil. Just numb my tongue. Ha ha ha ha. Spicy, man. It's spicy, of course. This is chili, so it should be spicy. So, let's start with chapati. The main cuisine is Kani. Kani, you call it a soupy rice or rice gruel. Rice gruel, but let's call it a soupy rice. We will start with chapati because they have prepared chapati also. As well as this is dal, butter dal. So here we have the chapati. Dal, prawns, pearl fish, rice soup. Oh, this chili chutney looks amazing. Cassava, dried fish. We got some more veg, dal, and that's the chicken right there. Oh my gosh. So I'm gonna start right here. Chapati. Oh, this is a nice chapati. So, grab a piece, right? Get a little bit of that. Mm. Basically like lentil puree. Oh, very light on the spice. Mm, really good. Nice. Nice chapati too. To anybody in South America, chapati is a roadie. Same as that thing. Mm. Oh, it's good. I usually put a lot of it in, make a little burrito. Take it like that. Right now, I won't do that. I'm gonna jump on a prawn. Look at this. So you get the prawn, right? Pull off the shell. You don't have to. Huh? You can eat with the shell. Eat with the shell? Yeah. Okay. So, my friend's telling me to eat with the shell. So I eat with the shell. The whole thing? Oh. Mm. Little masala. Mm. The coconut oil. Wow. So these prawns have ginger, black pepper, garlic, and green chili. Mm. Can't tell you enough how good the seafood is down in Kerala. The spices. Mm. The crunch right there. I love eating the shell. It's phenomenal. Next up, I'm jumping on my favorite green chili chutney of all time. I just had it in the kitchen, right? So you get a little bit. I actually got a lot, but why not? So good. You get a little bit of chapati. Enough so you can get a good amount into like a little pocket right there. Look at that. Look at this. And here we go. Mm. The heat. It's not like a super spice. It's more of a numbing spice. Something like a Szechuan. You know, the Szechuan pepper. Ooh. Tongue. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Next up, the dry fish is calling my name. Let's grab it. Here we have it, dry fish. Oh, you can see the spine right there. Ooh, salty. Crunchy. Super fishy. Good, though. Mm. I have no idea what fish this is, but I like it. Bones, everything went down easily. Smooth. Next up, I'm gonna get some of the potatoes, which are right here. Potatoes, there's some chilies in it, though. As you can see, a little bit of chilies. Some potatoes, put it right here on the side. That goes with the chapati well, right? And then over here, we have what I had today for lunch, which is the cabbage. Grab enough. I actually love this cabbage. Diced really well. Go in here with the chapati. Break this up. So we do each one separate. You don't mix both of those, right? So I'll go first with the potato. Got a chili. I don't know if you're supposed to eat that red chili. Yeah. Ha, ha, ha. Actually, you wanted to have more spicy, but it's this spicy. I know, I know. It's all good. Mm. That cabbage, mm. One of the best cabbage salads ever. If you like spicy and you like cabbage, ooh, coleslaw with a ting. Everything I've eaten in Kerala is absolutely phenomenal. Next up, we have some chicken curry. Small piece of chicken. Grab it up, break it up. So get a little bit of chapati, right? Always use one hand, right hand. You go in here, grab a little bit of that. Oh, yeah. Usually, here in India, they get a little bit. I had to go with a lot. Mm, that's organic chicken. Mm, I like this brownish curry. Mm, not too strong. That's a black pepper, a little spicy. I asked the captain. I was like, yo, give me a little spice. Ha, ha, ha. I can't do non-spice, you know? Everybody, when you come from the Western world, here in India, they'll always lower the spice level, which is actually very nice of them. But for me, I wanna eat like the Indians do. Next up, I'm gonna do something really traditional here in Kerala. First up, grab the cassava, also known as yucca, right here. Now get some of the green chili chutney. Love it. Also get some of the dried fish right there. And then, this is the way we do it, right? Congi, right? So, rice soup. Mm, plain. Next up, break a tiny piece of cassava, right? Right there. Then mix it with some of the green chutney and dried fish. So all that in one bite. Mm, that's all. Blend of flavors there. Next up, we have to dig into the flesh of the pomfret fish. This is a fish from the sea. Nice flesh. Dude, I love what they put on the skin. Oh, spices. What I'll do, I'll get a little more adventurous, right? Grab some of that, mix it with the chilies. Mm, oh, perfect. Mm, I gotta say, this is the best part about Kerala. Chilies. So I feel like the cani's a little too bland for me. No salt. Let's do something special. Let me get some chilies. Get enough, woo. Get some right there. And then just drop it in. Bam. Mix it up, right? Get a spoonful. Mm-hmm. Got a little chilies. And then, this is something really unique, Kerala style. Oh my gosh, that's a big soup. Ha ha ha ha ha. That's a lot of rice, dude. How much rice did he put in here? So I have dal, as well as I'm taking some potatoes, the side, chapati. Take a bit of dal, like this. And, mm. So good. It's good, real nice. And these potatoes, like this. Let me squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the prawns. Little bit, not too much. Then, I don't need the head. So remove the head. Take the prawns by the tail. Crunchy shells, juicy flesh. Perfect. That taste of pepper and ginger and garlic. Garlic tastes nice. Good. So, good night. Good night, buddy. See you tomorrow. Oh guys, what an amazing day it's been. Wow, this place is really phenomenal. So peaceful, so relaxing. I mean, we just cruised. We saw the basilica, went to the market. We saw how they fish, and then we had an incredible dinner. Really traditional style. For me, my favorite thing was for sure the cassava with chilies, but the prawns also were like all punched in the face. They were so good, so delicious. I mean, spicy seafood is phenomenal down here in Kerala. And guys, if you love this video, please give me a thumbs up. Leave me a comment below. Subscribe to my channel for more awesome travel content. I'll see you in the next travel food adventure in Kerala, India. Peace.