India, Aug. 28 -- Do you know anyone who is not encumbered by some handicap (an allergy to eggs, unthinking vegetarianism etc) who does not love an omelette?

I sure as hell don't.

And because a basic omelette is one of those dishes that tastes good even if you screw up the cooking, it is often the safest dish to order at a restaurant. I remember that Ajmer in the early 1970s was not exactly the gourmet capital of India. But when my friends and I would sneak out of boarding school and look for an escape from dire school food, we would end up at Ajmer Junction railway station. We would head for the station restaurant (on platform 1 if I recall correctly) and order the masala omelette.

The station restaurant (run then by a very kind gentl...