Turkish Manti

40 mins Prep Time

10 mins Cook Time

Written By

Tara Omidvar

Dumpling in Turkish is called Manti. Manti is not only popular in Turkish cuisine, but also in the Middle East, Balkan cuisine and Central Asia.

Turkish Manti is a dough, very similar to pasta, filled with ground beef or lamb, served with garlicky yogurt and spicy butter sauce.

Just like many other dishes from the Middle East, there are different recipes for Manti depending on the region, the method can be different.

I used Aleppo pepper in the butter sauce in this recipe. Aleppo pepper is a spice, particularly use in Turkish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It's less spicy than the chili flakes and more flavourful. If you don't have Aleppo pepper in hand, the best substitute will be a mix of paprika and chili flakes.

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lukewarm water

Filling

160 grams ground beef
1 small onion, diced
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup yogurt (room temperature)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of Salt

Butter Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon sumac
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves (for garnish)

Directions

Turkish Manti

12 Steps

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, eggs, salt and water. Knead the dough with hook attachment until everything holds together. Knead it for 6-8 minutes.
Step 2

Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3

Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl.
Step 4

Cut the dough into 2 or 4 pieces. Roll out each piece and lightly flour the surface if necessary.
Step 5

Use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into small squares.
Step 6

Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in middle of each square.
Step 7

To make the dumplings, first fold the tiny square into two and seal all the opposite corners of the dough in the center. Repeat this process for all of the dumplings (you might end up with some extra filling).
Step 8

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then turn the heat down to medium.
Step 9

Add the dumplings to the water and let it boil for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Drain the dumplings.
Step 10

For the yogurt sauce, mix all the ingredients into a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 11

For the butter sauce, add the butter and olive oil into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer until the butter has melted. Add Aleppo pepper and sumac and turn off the heat.
Step 12

To serve, spread the yogurt over your serving plate. Top with the dumplings. Drizzle the butter sauce on top and garnish with mint. Enjoy!