Fortunately for me, my parents settled in chennai when i was one year old, but unfortunately i got introduced to SAMBAR (i mean the curry we use to have idlies and a staple gravy in all southindian households), when i joined my fifth standard. The hatred for the SAMBAR was a slow process, initially i liked it a lot but as days became months and months became years i started hating it. The problem was both my parents were working and i had to leave home by 6.30am to reach school that to by train, so mum used to give me Rs.2 for my breakfast and lunch.With one rupee i used to get 4 idlies and SAMBAR by the jugs and in the afternoon the same SAMBAR to my woes landed on my plate with the lunch. To top that off my mum also started making SAMBAR at home for our night dosas. Not that i am saying that my mum is not a good cook but by this time i hated to hear the word SAMBAR uttered at home. My redemption day came when i entered class 8 th and my food money got a raise to RS.5. That was the day i thought that mornings i will have my staple breakfast and for lunch i will enter the parotta and varutha curry world (for the uninitiated varutha curry is two big pieces of mutton in very hot gravy),i had my doubts if it was mutton or the bigger variety with big horns,anyway i really enjoyed it for a week before my bottom could not hold up to the heat of the gravy, so there i was back at the SAMBAR joint. The reason for me to write this now is that last night i sat down for dinner with my family and mum said there was vegetable curry and dosas. i was delighted it was not the dreaded SAMBAR. But when i took a mouthful i tasted typically like SAMBAR but with a slight twist to the taste. I confronted my mum and said this is SAMBAR and not veg curry. She in her typical no nonsense way said she has not put tamarind in the curry but instead put tomatoes hence its veg curry. Anyways, years have not changed my mum nor my hatred for SAMBAR.
