The thought of a day at the beach conjures up a kaleidoscope of images and nostalgic memories; beach balls, inflatable dingys, potato chips, shami kebabs and the Volkswagen microbus bring back the best picnic moments for me.

Of course, not all memories are pleasant. I remember dozens of picnic lunches with soggy sandwiches which dripped ketchup, or dry sandwiches with a bit of egg or chicken filling here and there, cold greasy biryani and curries seeping through paper plates. Many trials and tribulations later, I figured that nothing beats hot, freshly cooked food on a picnic.

However not everyone has the resources, equipment, workforce or team spirit to achieve freshly barbequed chicken tikka, a quick karhai cooked on a bonfire or burgers fried on a portable grill with hot doodhpati made on the stove in the hut with freshly fried pakoras for tea time. Absolutely nothing beats that and if you think you can pull it off, more power to you.

Since the cooking is done then and there, all you have to do is take the marinated chicken in a freezer bag or icebox, preferably frozen so it can defrost on the way. For pakoras you need to take the dry besan mix (ready in a packet or made at home) and just add water on the spot. For burgers you need to take buns, mustard, mayo and greens; the patties can defrost on the way and be fried or grilled on the spot.

Those who don’t want to turn a lazy day at the beach into a cooking marathon can choose from a dazzling array of readymade foods to take along. Planning the menu for the day is half the fun of the picnic itself but remember, food safety is a primary consideration when selecting stuff to take to a picnic. Keep in mind that the food may be sitting at warm temperatures breeding bacteria for some time before you get round to eating it so try to avoid things that may pose bacterial risks. If you want to take these type of foods along, plan on ice boxes or freezer bags so that they will stay cool and safe to eat.

A meat loaf, cheese, potato salad, pasta salad, practically anything that tastes good when cold makes a fine meal; all you need is an icebox to keep your goods cool until you reach the hut and lay the stuff out on the table. Cold French toast tastes nice on the beach for some odd reason. So does quiche, especially with a tangy relish on the side.

Dum ka keema being filling, moist and non-greasy works well on a picnic eaten with a loaf of bread, taftaan or sheermal. Hot chapatti may sound tempting but will get cold and rubbery by the time you serve it so stick with the given options. Lemon wedges, chopped green chillies, onion chopped in rings and fresh mint garnish can all be prepared beforehand and taken along to add a zing to the food. For dessert, cup cakes, a moist fruit cake or candy bars are good enough.

Sandwiches, of course, are the quintessential picnic food but, unless care is taken, you can wind up with a soggy nightmare which crumbles in your hands and collapses in your lap in a heap of bread crumbs, ketchup and bits of shammi kebab. The only way to prevent sandwich disasters is to take all the fillings and spreads separately and assemble upon arrival.

Fill your ice box with a selection of cold cuts, hunter’s beef and shredded chicken, hard boiled eggs, shammi kebab, bits of tandoori chicken chunks, last night’s leftover sabzi, you name it.

Throw in a big bottle of mayonnaise, the half-finished bottle of mustard lurking at the back of your refrigerator and all the sachets of ketchup you’ve collected with your pizza takeaway. Gherkins, pickles, a bottle of jalapeño peppers, the mint chutney your phupi sent last week can all be added to the box …let your imagination run wild. Add butter, cheese slices, hot sauce, salt, pepper and of course, lots and lots of bread. Lay it all out on the table and let everyone come up with their own sandwich masterpiece (don’t forget sausages and rolls for those who want hotdogs.)

If you want to take some readymade sandwiches in any case (little ones tend to get hungry in the car) make some with chicken and lettuce and wrap individually in foil so you can open one packet at a time and not the entire lot. This will help them keep fresh, moist and cool.

Another, slightly unusual picnic treat is chaat. Seriously, a plate of tangy, spicy chaat tastes even better when you add a view of crashing waves and the refreshing breeze. Mix chick peas, potatoes, chopped onions, tamarind sauce and slightly sweetened yoghurt at home. Keep pappri and chaat masala separate. If you have an ice box, you can keep it cool, but if you leave out the yoghurt and make do with just the tamarind sauce, chaat can withstand normal temperatures and can be consumed for lunch or tea time.

Now that you’ve had your feast, you need something to wash it down. Obviously you stocked up on cold drinks from Mauripur but at the end of the day, nothing beats a cup of freshly brewed doodh-patti (tea from a thermos is hardly the same; if there is no other option, take black tea and add milk and sugar separately.) Hopefully, however, your hut will have a functioning stove so don’t forget to bring the teabags and other essentials.

Enjoy your picnic and let the camelwalas enjoy the leftovers.