If the weather's up to it, nothing beats a picnic of curries, writes Hugo Arnold.
It was a perfect late-summer day: the stifling heat had gone, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
We were in southern India, staying with friends, and it was a perfect moment for a picnic - an art form in this part of the world.
We bought some sari material at the market, borrowed rush mats from next door and brought some tiffin tins out of retirement.
Where the Irish make sandwiches and pies, Indians wrap up curries and parathas. Where we pack chocolate biscuits and fruit, Indians take sweetmeats.
Our menu included one dry dish, one wet, one meat, one fish and one vegetarian. I questioned the wisdom of a fish curry, as it somehow lacked appeal; later, as I attacked the last remaining morsels, I apologised for having cast aspersions.
My whole approach to picnicking was changed by our lakeside feast that day. Gone was the idea of self-contained units: sandwiches or rolls, pieces of pie and whole fruit.
Half the fun of a picnic is digging in, sharing, experimenting with flavours and textures. As for implements, dispensing with those and using hands can not only add to the pleasure but also made the clean up easier.
Recipes serve four
SPICED VEGETABLES WITH COCONUT AND YOGURT
100g carrots
200g French beans
100g mangetout
1 tbsp turmeric
1 coconut, grated
3 green chillies
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves
½ cup yogurt
1 tbsp curry leaves
Cut the vegetables into batons. Add the turmeric and half-cover with water. Bring to the boil. Blitz the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and garlic together in a food processor, to make a masala. Stir the masala into the vegetables, season with salt and continue to cook, uncovered, until the sauce begins to thicken and the vegetables become tender. If the vegetables cook before the sauce is reduced, take them out, then boil the sauce down. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt and curry leaves.
POACHED SPICED CHICKEN
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp finely chopped shallots
4 green chillies, trimmed and sliced
2cm ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp curry leaves
¼ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp white-wine vinegar
250g skinless chicken, cut into 3cm cubes
½ coconut, milk reserved, flesh grated
Heat the oil and gently saute the shallots, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and vinegar, season with salt and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the heat and stir in the grated coconut and milk before serving.
FISH CURRY
50g tamarind
400g monkfish or halibut
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp finely chopped shallots
2 green chillies, sliced
2cm ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp curry leaves
¼ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
pinch turmeric
½ coconut, flesh and milk blitzed in a food processor to form a paste
2 tbsp coconut oil
Cover the tamarind with warm water. Leave to soak and then squeeze with your fingers to give a tamarind liquor. Cut the fish into three-centimetre cubes. Heat the oil and gently saute the shallots for five minutes or until soft. Add the green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, chilli powder, coriander and turmeric and a seasoning of salt. Saute for two minutes and then add the tamarind liquor, coconut paste and enough water to form a thick gravy. Simmer for five minutes, season the fish with salt, add to the liquid and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil and serve.