Yomari (Nepali Steamed Rice Dumplings with Sesame and Jaggery)
Fig shaped dumplings of soft rice dough hiding a sticky filling of sesame and jaggery. A Newari festival sweet from Nepal.
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.57 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool slightly, then grind roughly in a pestle and mortar or blender.
3 min - 2
Melt the jaggery and ghee in a small pan over a low heat until a thick syrup. Mix in the sesame and ginger. Cool until firm enough to roll into 12 small balls.
- 3
Put the rice flour and salt in a heatproof bowl. Pour in the boiling water, mix with a spoon, then knead with oiled hands for 3 minutes into a smooth, soft dough.
- 4
Take a golf ball piece of dough, make a cup in it with your thumb, and put a sesame ball inside. Pinch the top closed and pull it to a point, so it looks like a fig or a garlic bulb. Repeat.
- 5
Oil a steamer and line it with baking paper. Steam the yomaris, in batches, over boiling water for 15 minutes until shiny and soft.
15 min - 6
Serve hot, but let them cool for 2 minutes first because the middle is molten.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.

