Dre Si

Ingredients

• 10½ ozRiceLong-grain rice such as basmati, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 2⅛ cupsWaterfor cooking the rice
• 2⅛ ozButtermelted and stirred into the warm rice
• 3½ ozRaisinsgolden variety preferred
• 2⅛ ozCashew nutsunsalted, folded in whole
• 1¾ ozSugarfor sweetening; may be left out when the raisins are sweet
• 2⅛ ozHoneyrunny, as a sweetener instead of sugar (optional)
• 3½ ozDroma rootsboiled separately until soft, rinsed thoroughly (optional)
• 1¼ ozAlmondssliced or slivered, as an alternative to cashews (optional)
• ½ tspCardamomground, for aroma (optional)
• 1 pinchSaltadded to the cooking water (optional)
• 3Saffronthreads, steeped in the hot cooking water (optional)

Method

1. Put the rice in a bowl, cover it with cold water and wash it through several times, until the water stays clear; then drain it well.
2. If you're using droma roots, boil them in plenty of water for 35–40 minutes until soft, drain them and rinse them thoroughly — they come out of the ground with soil on them and need it.
3. Bring the water to the boil in a pot, season with a pinch of salt if you like and, if using, let the saffron threads steep in it until the water turns yellow.
4. Stir in the washed rice, cover the pot and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan.
6. Fold the melted butter, the sugar or honey, the raisins, the cashews and, if you're using them, the boiled droma roots into the hot rice; add the ground cardamom now if you want it.
7. Cover the pot again and let the rice sit for a few minutes, so the raisins plump up and the butter works its way through.
8. Fluff it gently with a fork and serve warm in small bowls.

Tips and variations

If your raisins are sweet enough on their own, you can leave the sugar out altogether — or swap it for runny honey. Sliced or slivered almonds work just as well as cashews. If you've coloured the cooking water with saffron, go the whole way: cook the raisins, currants and almonds along with the rice and stir in a mixture of honey, butter and cardamom at the end. There's also a rice-pudding version: cook the rice in whole milk with sugar, raisins, dried apricots, cardamom and almonds until it turns pudding-thick. For Losar, dried cherries, pecans and pine nuts join the mix. Serve Dre Si in small bowls with sweet tea or butter tea (Po Cha). Outside Tibet, basmati is the usual stand-in for the local rice.