Turkish Manti – Lamb Dumplings with Yogurt and Paprika Butter

About This Recipe

Manti are Turkey's beloved dumplings — tiny, pinched parcels of spiced lamb wrapped in delicate pasta dough and boiled until tender. What makes manti extraordinary is not just the dumpling itself, but the layered sauce system: a cold garlic-yogurt base, a warm tomato-butter sauce, and a final drizzle of sizzling paprika butter with dried mint and chilli flakes. All three components hit the plate simultaneously, creating a contrast of temperatures and flavours that is uniquely satisfying. The Kayseri region of central Turkey is famous for producing the smallest manti — traditionally so tiny that 40 fit on a single spoon, a mark of the cook's skill and patience. While achieving this scale requires practice, even rustic home-sized manti deliver the same flavour profile. The lamb filling is kept simple — just mince, onion, salt and black pepper — so the sauce components do the talking. Manti is a dish for a special occasion: it takes time to make but delivers a restaurant-quality result. The components can all be prepared in advance and assembled at the last minute. Leftover manti freeze beautifully before boiling.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 2eggs
• 1 tspsalt
• 60 mlwater
• 250 gminced lamb
• 1onion(finely grated)
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 400 gGreek yogurt
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbspbutter
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1/2 tspdried mint
• 1/4 tspchilli flakes

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, eggs, salt and water into a firm dough. Knead 10 minutes until smooth. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

   The dough must be firm — too soft and it will tear when you make tiny dumplings.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Combine lamb, grated onion, salt and black pepper. Mix well.

3. 3

   Shape the manti

   Roll dough 1–2mm thin. Cut into 3–4cm squares. Place a small pinch of filling in the centre. Pinch all four corners together to seal. Press edges firmly.

   Work with small batches; keep unrolled dough covered so it doesn't dry out.

4. 4

   Boil the manti

   Cook in heavily salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes until the dough is tender and cooked through. Drain.

5. 5

   Prepare sauces

   Mix yogurt with garlic, season with salt. Separately, melt butter in a pan, add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. In another pan, melt butter with paprika, mint and chilli until sizzling.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Spoon yogurt onto plates. Top with manti. Drizzle tomato butter over, then finish with the paprika-mint butter.

Variations

• •

  Baked manti: arrange in a baking dish with a little water, bake at 180°C until golden, then add sauces.

• •

  Cheese filling: ricotta and spinach instead of lamb for a vegetarian version.

Storage

Cooked manti: 2 days. Uncooked manti freeze for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions