Method
- Make the filling: in a wide pan, melt ghee over low heat. Add the toasted sesame seeds, shaved chaku and ground cardamom. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chaku melts and binds with the sesame into a sticky brown paste. Stir in khoya and ground nuts. Cool. The filling should be firm enough to shape but soft enough to insert into the dough.
- Make the wrapper: combine rice flour and salt. Pour boiling water over while mixing with chopsticks. Add oil and knead briefly while still warm. The dough should be soft, pliable, slightly sticky. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
- Take a portion of dough (about 30g) and shape into an oval cup with your fingers — like making a small bowl with a pointed tip at one end and an open mouth at the other.
- Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the centre of the cup. Pinch the open end closed and shape the dough into a fish form: rounded body in the centre, pointed tail at one end, slightly raised head at the other. The yomari shape is symbolic and unmistakable.
- Repeat for all yomaris. You should have 18–20.
- Steam in a bamboo basket lined with parchment over rapidly boiling water for 18 minutes. The wrappers should turn glossy and slightly translucent. Serve warm; the filling inside is molten and sweet, the wrapper chewy. Eat carefully — the molten chaku is hot.
Common questions
Can Yomari be made ahead?
Yomari is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 25 minutes.
Is Yomari spicy?
Yomari as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Yomari vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Yomari to make at home?
Yomari sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 55 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Yomari be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 6 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Yomari is the centerpiece of Yomari Punhi ? the December Newari full-moon festival celebrating the rice harvest. The fish-shape is symbolic of fertility and abundance. Each Newari household makes piles of yomari, offered to the gods (especially Annapurna, the goddess of grain) before being eaten. Chaku ? the dark Nepali jaggery from sugarcane ? is the signature filling ingredient; without it, the dish is generic. Modern variations include savoury fillings, but the chaku-sesame is the original.
