A rivalry between two cities that spills into the sambar

In the culinary battle between Chennai and Bengaluru, the debate over whose sambar reigns supreme continues to divide food lovers.

In the friendly tussle between urbanites of Chennai and Bengaluru, be it over weather, night-life, obsessive fandom towards Chennai Super Kings or Royal Challengers Bengaluru, another constant query is centred around whose sambar is better. The Karnataka curry with a hint of jaggery and the Tamil Nadu variant with a mild touch of asafoetida have often split food lovers.

But within these two cities, there are islands of resistance where the other’s cuisine is celebrated. Bengaluru has its fans loyal to Murugan Idli Kadai, while in the Madras of the past, a favourite pastime was to hang around Woodlands Drive in, which now has become Semmozhi Poonga near the Anna Flyover. Further down the road, the other Woodlands still exists, drawing loyal patrons every day, eager to tuck into their Mysore masala dosas. The old Drive in has donned a fresh avatar at Arumbakkam and nostalgia-seekers have found their latest congregation spot. The taste of Karnataka, or to be precise the vegetarian flavours innate to Udupi cuisine, found a sweet spot in Madras. There were the legacy restaurants — for instance, Mathsya in Egmore — but equally you also had the corner one like Vijaya Vilas at Pudupet.

Much before the Saravana Bhavans made a mark with their Tamil vegetarian fare, the go-to hotels for a quick bite of idli-vada or uthappam were these small joints with Udupi roots. Mangalore was, until Indian independence, a part of the Madras Presidency, and people there, either moved up the coast towards Bombay or took the Mail eastwards to Madras. While seeking greener pastures, they also ensured that their cooking skills were under the limelight.

Cut to the present when old Udupi joints continue to prosper, a fresh wave of Bengaluru restaurants have stepped in. They try to blend in the good old Darshini’s rapid but tasty offerings, but set within the premises of a modern outlet. Software professionals, who have reverse-migrated to Chennai in recent times from Bengaluru, do miss their thindi (breakfast in Kannada) and the new joints attempt to tap into this yearning.

However, these latest ventures tend to overdo the cliché linked to jaggery or even sugar. The sweet notes over-power the palate at times and a sense of balance is missing unlike the old Udupi hotels. But there is a crowd that relishes this too like how it is in Mumbai where Mangalorean outlets tend to add a wee bit more jaggery to the sambar. Guess there are many ways to food-heaven while the arguments over which sambar is the best simmer in the two southern cities.