Pappadakondaattam (Pappad Fry) with Peas Pulao

What do you do when you have only 4 plain papads left and have 10 guests? Make pappadakondaattam. It is such a simple idea and an interesting dish (?) and you can easily serve it to even 20 people with just 4 papads. I tasted this two years ago at a relatives place from my husbands side and was hooked.

The recipe is so easy; you cannot call it a recipe.I had unexpected quests for dinner and only 4 papads.So, I heated ¼ cup oil, spluttered 1 tsp mustard seeds, sautéed 2 tsp thinly diced shallots until brown, added 1 sprig of curry leaves and 2 dry red chilies split. Break the plain pappadam into one inch pieces and fry. Drain the oil when the pappadam is fried.Yesterday, I served it with a simple and quick Peas Pulao.

Peas Cooked -1.5 cup
Basmati rice - 3 cup
Heat 1/4 cup ghee, sauté 1/2 cup diced onions until brown, then sauté a paste of 2 tsp ginger + garlic + 2 green chilies, add 2 bay leaves split, and then add 1 tsp garam masaala, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and sauté for one minute.

Add cooked peas or frozen peas, sauté and add 2 cups of thick coconut milk and 1 cup of water and add salt. When it boils, add the washed rice. If needed, add hot water. While adding water, remember we are not going to strain the water from the rice. So only add sufficient water.

How I do: To me, the water level should be just 1 inch above the rice. After it boils and the rice looks semi cooked, close the lid tightly and take off from flame. The rice will cook in the heat and will absorb all the water. Or use a rice cooker.Serve with raita.