It's a dilemma that confronts me as soon as I enter the Sea Shell Restaurant at Fort Aguada, Goa. On one side there is a basket full of eggs and some cheese, tomatoes, onions, chillies and coriander and behind on a pan a chef is making an omelette. Right next to him on a large hot plate another chef is putting some aloo bhaji inside a dosa. I am in a real dilemma. Should I order a masala omelette or a masala dosa? They both look delicious but obviously even I cannot have both. The Indian in me is pulling me towards the masala dosa, particularly when I remember the sambar and chutney which accompany the dosa. My Western leanings are pulling me towards an omelette.

A well-meaning aunt used to always say when we were young that the Desai children eat ketchup accompanied by fries rather than the other way round and there was more than a grain of truth in that. But I have always loved eggs — however they are made — and am particularly fond of fried eggs (sunny side up) and of course masala omelettes. The great thing about the omelette is that you can put a lot of stuff in it, and it will continue to be a omelette, and taste delicious.

But I realise that the dosa has also become much more versatile and almost any stuffing will do. I am still debating what to order and realise that there are only a couple of people in the queue ahead of me. Decision-making time is upon me.

... contd.