What gets your vote in this tight contest?

On the other hand, sambar is omnipresent although in different forms.

This million-dollar question has been debated many times in our households! Each has its army of admirers. Both come out in colourful varieties and flavours as the occasion demands. For some, rasam brings a sense of joy. It is a dish that can be prepared easily as it is less demanding in terms of ingredients. Flavour occupies a prime place in rasam. It can be due to tomato, asafoetida, coriander, lemon, pepper or garlic.

On the other hand, sambar is omnipresent although in different forms. The quality of sambar powder is the starting point. This recipe is carefully preserved by the womenfolk and passed from one generation to the next. On top of it, various spices, pulses and grated or ground coconut are added. If you step into a marriage hall, araithuvitta sambar is a sine qua non. No cook can ever dream of getting away with a powder-based version! The addition of right vegetables on top of these is the culmination point. Of course, we have more variations in sambar such as vathakuzhambu, pitlai, etc. Each comes with its trademark strengths and presents a viable alternative.

The first difference is that whilst sambar faces stiff competition from its varied cousins, rasam fears no one. Its contents and flavour can change but the basic constitution remains the same. The second is when someone falls sick, rasam always finds its way to the alimentary canal, not sambar.

The third is how one consumes them. When using a ladle to take the top or bottom or mid-portions of sambar from a vessel, you get more or less the same output. Oh boy, rasam presents a plethora of permutations. Some prefer to attack from the surface, reduce it to a soup and quench their thirst. For others, a trip to the very bottom of the vessel brings out a sediment that is as tasty as its dilute surroundings.

The third (where I belong) involves churning the rasam thoroughly, giving it a minute and then scooping out from the top. Another is the usage of garlic or pepper to increase its medicinal value. For many of us, having garlic rasam after an oil bath on Saturdays is the norm. The famous soup ‘Mulligatawny’ is nothing but pepper rasam and taken from its Tamil word. Finally, the rice entraps sambar while rasam engulfs rice during eating. That is the clincher.Whatever it is, both provide a lot of avenues for innovation. However, you can drink a cup of rasam in all its resplendence, but not sambar! My vote goes to rasam.

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