Modern Manti with Yogurt Foam — Yalçınkaya-Inspired

About This Recipe

This dish is inspired by Chef Mehmet Yalçınkaya's signature philosophy: deep Anatolian heritage executed with modern European technique. Manti — tiny Turkish dumplings — is one of Turkey's most beloved comfort foods, traditionally served with thick yogurt and butter. Yalçınkaya's approach at Mira and across his teaching career has been to preserve the soul of these regional dishes while elevating their presentation. Here we use the same authentic dough and lamb filling but finish with a light yogurt foam, brown butter and Aleppo pepper oil — a dialogue between Kayseri grandmother cooking and Istanbul fine dining.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour
• 1egg
• 100 mlwater(approximately)
• 1 tspsalt(for the dough)
• 300 gminced lamb(20% fat)
• 1 smallonion(very finely grated)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 tspAleppo pepper (pul biber)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(very finely chopped)
• 300 gTurkish strained yogurt (süzme yoğurt)(or Greek yogurt)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced into paste with salt)
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 2 tspAleppo pepper (pul biber)(for the finishing oil)
• 1 tspdried mint
• 0.25 tspsumac(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mound the flour and salt on a surface. Make a well, add the egg and water. Mix and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.

   Manti dough should feel slightly firmer than pasta dough — this lets you roll it very thin without tearing.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix the lamb, grated onion, cumin, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt. Massage with your hands until the mixture feels slightly sticky — about 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll the dough as thin as possible — 1mm or less — with a long rolling pin. Cut into tiny 2cm × 2cm squares using a pizza cutter or knife. Traditional manti is so small that 40–50 dumplings fit on a tablespoon.

4. 4

   Fill and fold

   Place a tiny pea-sized amount of filling in the centre of each square. Pinch all four corners up to meet at the top, sealing into a small four-pointed parcel. Place on a floured tray.

   Don't overfill — too much filling tears the dough during boiling.

5. 5

   Boil the manti

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the manti and cook 6–8 minutes until they float and the dough is just tender. Drain gently.

6. 6

   Make the yogurt foam

   Whisk the yogurt with the garlic paste, 2 tablespoons of warm water and a pinch of salt until smooth and silky. For a true foam: whisk vigorously with a balloon whisk until light and aerated, or use a milk frother.

7. 7

   Make the brown butter and pepper oil

   In a small pan, melt the butter and continue cooking until it turns golden-brown and smells nutty. Off the heat, stir in the 2 teaspoons of Aleppo pepper and dried mint.

8. 8

   Plate and serve

   Spoon the yogurt foam onto warm plates. Pile the hot manti on top. Drizzle generously with the brown butter and pepper oil. Finish with a dusting of sumac and a sprinkle of dried mint. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Traditional Manti: skip the foam — top with regular thick garlic-yogurt and the brown butter.

• •

  Vegetarian Manti: substitute the lamb for finely chopped sautéed mushrooms with caramelised onion.

• •

  Boş Manti: 'empty manti' — make the dough parcels with no filling and serve with extra yogurt and butter.

Storage

Uncooked manti freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Cooked: best eaten immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions