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Sticky rice is soaked, steamed and pressed around small Asian bananas (Chuối sứ), wrapped in banana leaves and grilled until the rice forms a chewy crust. A coconut cream sauce thickened with a little cornflour and salt is spooned over the split-open bundles, and toasted peanuts and sesame finish the top. The contrast of crisp-burnt outside, soft hot banana, and cool coconut sauce is the whole point.
A sweet rice that's about generosity rather than complexity: hot basmati glossed with melted butter, fattened with cashews, sweetened just a little with sugar and softened raisins, and (in the traditional version) studded with droma, small starchy wild roots harvested in central Tibet that look a bit like miniature sweet potatoes and taste vaguely chestnut-like. Without droma the dish is still recognisably dresil, just simpler. Yak butter is the real-thing fat, tangier and stronger than supermarket butter; ghee is the closest accessible substitute. The sweetness is restrained, Tibetan sweets in general aren't very sweet by Western standards, which is part of why dresil eats well alongside salty butter tea. Smell is warm butter and toasted nuts. Easy to make: it's essentially a stir-through. The first thing eaten on the first morning of Losar (Tibetan New Year) in many Central Tibetan households, with each family member taking a small bowl as part of the day-one rituals, and a quiet dish despite being a celebration food.
Firni is Afghanistan's set rice-flour pudding, served at Eid and at the end of long family lunches, scented with cardamom and rosewater and topped with crushed pistachios. The technique is simple but precise. Very finely ground rice flour (traditionally soaked basmati ground by hand, but shop-bought rice flour works well) whisks into cold milk to a slurry, gets stirred slowly into warming sweetened milk, and cooks until thick and creamy. Cardamom and rosewater at the end. Pour into shallow dishes (small individual ones, ideally) and chill until the surface sets to a light skin. Scatter with crushed pistachios or almonds and serve cold. Make it the day before so it has time to set properly.
Aged basmati rice is soaked briefly and ground to a coarse paste (the Lahori way; modern shortcut is rice flour). Milk is brought to a boil, the rice paste whisked in carefully to avoid lumps, and the mixture cooked over low heat for 25-30 minutes with constant stirring as it thickens to a custard. Sugar, cardamom, saffron and a hint of rose go in at the end. The firni is poured into small earthenware bowls (the traditional vessel; the porous clay draws moisture out and intensifies the flavour). Chilled, topped with nuts.
Rice rinses, then simmers in a pot with milk and a knob of butter over low heat, the same technique as risotto but unstirred. After 30 minutes the rice is just-soft. Sugar and raisins go in for the last 15 minutes. The finished pudding is glossy, sweet, and pourable but holds its shape when spooned. Toppings vary: pine nuts and butter, an extra knob of melted butter, or a few drops of fresh cream.
Rice cooks slowly in lots of water until tender and mashable. Sugar dissolves with bloomed saffron; the lot simmers until thick, like loose porridge. Rosewater and a knob of butter join near the end; the pudding pours into shallow dishes to set. Cinnamon dust and pistachio patterns top each serving.
A custard-free, fully coconut ice cream. Coconut milk (full-fat) and coconut cream combine with palm sugar, glucose syrup (or honey, keeps the texture smooth) and salt; warm together gently to dissolve the sugar. Cool fully (4 hours fridge or an ice bath). Churn in an ice-cream machine for 25-30 minutes until thick and creamy. Transfer to a container; freeze 2+ hours to firm. Serve in small bowls or, for the Bangkok cart presentation, in halved fresh coconut shells, topped with any combination of: small banana slices, sticky rice, roasted peanuts, sweet red beans, palm-sugar syrup, toasted coconut.
A dough of flour, sesame oil, honey, sugar, soju (Korean rice wine), and a pinch of cinnamon and ginger rubs together, yakgwa dough is sandy, not stretchy (no gluten development is desired). Rests for 30 minutes. Rolls 8 mm thick; cuts into 3 cm flower shapes with a cutter. Pricks each piece with a fork or knife (helps the syrup soak in). Fries in two stages: gentle 110°C heat first to swell the dough; then 160°C to crisp. While frying, syrup of honey, rice syrup (or maple/corn), water and ginger simmers briefly. Hot fried cookies dunk into warm syrup; rest for 1 hour to absorb; lift onto a rack to drain excess.