Pattani Sadham (Green Peas Rice) - Home Style

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 15 mins + 5-6 hrs soaking time
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings:For 2-3 persons

Pattani Sadham is one of my (and all my friends') favourite lunch box meal during my school/college days and my mom is an expert in these one pot lunch box meals:) I tried to adapt my mom's method and it turns out good. Addition of coconut milk makes it more flavourful and it can be had with spicy veg gravy! Since it's not having strong masala flavour, kids will surely like it. For this I personally prefer dried peas over the frozen ones.

Pattani Sadham

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Green Peas (Dried Peas) - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1-2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Star anise - 1 no
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Green chillies, slitted - 2-3 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

For Spice-flavoured coconut milk:

• Fresh coconut, chopped - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Cloves - 2-3 nos
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Water - as required

Method:

1. Soak the dried peas for 4-6 hrs and pressure cook with little salt for 2-3 whistles. Cooked peas should be firm and not mushy
   
2. Wash and soak rice for 30 mins
3. Take the ingredients under grinding in a blender/ mixie, add required water and grind to a smooth paste. Using strainer, extract the spice-flavoured coconut milk. We can grind and strain the extract 2-3 times until we extract all the liquid. Make sure the extract comes to about 1.5- 2 cups
   
4. Heat oil+ghee in a pressure cooker / pan, add bay leaf, star anise and fry for 30 secs
   
5. Add the sliced onion, sprinkle a pinch of salt, saute till it becomes golden brown and then add the green chillies, saute for a min
   
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute till the raw smell goes off
   
7. Add the cooked peas and saute for a min
   
8. To this add the drained rice, required salt (since we had add salt for peas, adjust accordingly)
   
9. Measure and add the required spiced coconut milk, around 2 cups
   
10. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and simmer for 5 mins, switch off and allow to cook in the steam itself Or we can cook using electric rice cooker
    
11. Allow to sit for 15 mins before mixing
12. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any kurma / raita