Manti (Turkish Dumplings with Yogurt and Garlic)

About This Recipe

Manti are famously tiny in the Turkish tradition, especially in the Kayseri region where cooks pride themselves on folding dumplings so small that forty can supposedly fit on a single spoon. Thin dough squares are filled with just a pinch of seasoned ground beef and onion, then pinched into small bundles and boiled until the dough turns tender and slightly chewy. The defining move comes at the table: a generous ladle of garlic yogurt is poured over the hot dumplings, followed by a sizzling drizzle of butter infused with paprika and dried mint, the hot fat crackling audibly as it hits the yogurt.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour(plus more for dusting)
• 1egg
• 1/2 cupwater
• 1 tspsalt(for dough)
• 150 gground beef
• 1onion(grated and squeezed dry)
• 1 tspsalt(for filling)
• 1/2 tspblack pepper(for filling)
• 2 cupsplain yogurt
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced, for yogurt)
• 4 tbspbutter
• 1 tbsppaprika
• 1 tspdried mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, egg, water and salt into a firm dough; knead 10 minutes until smooth, then rest covered for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Mix ground beef with grated onion, salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Roll and cut

   Roll the dough out very thin on a floured surface and cut into small squares, about 1.5 inches per side.

   Roll the dough as thin as possible — this is what makes authentic Kayseri-style manti so delicate.

4. 4

   Fill and fold

   Place a tiny amount of filling in the center of each square, then pinch all four corners up and together to seal into a small bundle.

5. 5

   Boil

   Boil the dumplings in salted water for 10-12 minutes until the dough is tender and the filling is cooked through.

6. 6

   Make the yogurt sauce

   Stir garlic into the yogurt with a pinch of salt while the manti cook.

7. 7

   Make the butter

   Melt butter in a small pan with paprika and dried mint until fragrant and just beginning to foam.

8. 8

   Assemble

   Drain the manti, top generously with garlic yogurt, then drizzle with the hot paprika butter just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Some regions boil the manti directly in broth instead of water, serving it soup-style.

• •

  A baked version (firin mantisi) from eastern Turkey is baked before being simmered in broth, giving a different texture.

• •

  Vegetarian manti with a lentil or mushroom filling are made for meatless days.

Storage

Uncooked manti freeze exceptionally well on a floured tray before bagging; boil straight from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes. Cooked manti with sauce should be eaten fresh, as the dough softens further if stored.

Frequently Asked Questions