Manti (Turkish Yogurt Dumplings)

About This Recipe

Manti is one of Turkey's most beloved dumpling dishes, famous for the care required to fold many tiny parcels by hand. The dough is rolled thin, cut into small squares, filled with a modest amount of seasoned beef or lamb, and pinched closed so the dumplings cook quickly. The serving sauce is as important as the filling: cool garlic yogurt covers the dumplings, hot paprika butter blooms across the top, and dried mint and sumac bring fragrance and acidity. The result is a dish of contrasts: chewy dough, savory meat, tangy yogurt, warm butter, and herbal spice.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 360 gall-purpose flour
• 2 largeeggs
• 90 mlwater
• 250 gminced beef or lamb
• 1 smallonion, grated and squeezed dry
• 350 gthick yogurt
• 2 clovesgarlic, grated
• 40 gbutter
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1 tspsumac

Instructions

1. 1

   Make firm dough

   Mix flour, eggs, water, and salt into a firm dough. Knead 8 minutes, cover, and rest 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Prepare filling

   Mix meat with onion, salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika. Keep cold while rolling dough.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll dough very thin and cut into small 3cm squares. Add a tiny pinch of filling to each square.

4. 4

   Fold dumplings

   Pinch opposite corners together to make small bundles. Place on a floured tray as you work.

   Use less filling than you think; overfilled manti open in the pot.

5. 5

   Boil

   Cook manti in salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and floating.

6. 6

   Sauce and serve

   Mix yogurt with garlic and salt. Drain manti, top with yogurt, paprika butter, dried mint, and sumac.

Variations

• •

  Bake boiled manti briefly before saucing for a Kayseri-inspired firmer texture.

• •

  Use lamb with cumin for a deeper filling.

• •

  Make a vegetarian filling with mushrooms and walnuts.

Storage

Freeze uncooked manti on trays, then bag for up to 2 months. Boil from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions