Chatelaine Chef Series

Served with toast or crusty bread and a salad, these omelets make a lovely, light lunch or supper.

These pancakes are similar to crêpes except that they are made with whole-wheat flour, well spiced, and eggless. Very popular in Maharashtra and along India’s west coast, they are generally eaten for breakfast with chutneys, yogurt relishes, and pickles. They can also be served at lunch or dinner as flatbreads.

The combination of sweet fruit and sharp leaves, along with the contrast in texture between the fruit and the crunchy, punchy salsa, makes this a very unusual salad. There’s enough of a wow factor for it to be a stand- alone starter, but it also works well with some simply grilled mackerel or salmon, or leftover cold chicken.

The pickled beets need to be made the day before. They keep for a few weeks in the fridge, so can be made well ahead of time. You’ll make more than you need for this recipe, so keep any leftovers in the fridge to spoon alongside grilled fish or cheese. If you are short on time or just looking for a shortcut, dicing some ready-pickled beets is a perfectly good substitute.

This is all about the tomatoes, so get as many different varieties as you can: red, green, yellow, baby plum, cherry, and vine. They also look great if they are not cut in uniform fashion; smaller tomatoes should be halved, while larger ones should be cut into wedges or sliced.