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Authentic Manti Recipe Turkiye, Asia
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
A member of a world-popular family of dumplings, Turkish manti is a delicious pasta dish traditionally filled with onion, ground meat (most commonly lamb or beef) and spices, covered with aromatic yogurt-garlic sauce and drizzled with tangy red pepper-tomato sauce. The city of Kayseri in Central Anatolia is known for making the best manti, while in Eastern Anatolia a vegetarian version prevails, filled with crushed chickpeas, cumin, and red pepper flakes. First, a dough is prepared by mixing flour, water, salt, and sometimes eggs, and is then rolled out thinly and cut into small squares. Each square is filled with a mixture of ground meat, onion, and spices, and shaped in the form of a small pouch, pinched at the top. The manti dumplings are then baked shortly, after which they are simmered in salted water and drizzled with a white and a red sauce which give freshness and spiciness. Since making manti is time-consuming, most Turkish women get together and turn it into a group project,... Read more
Cooking tips
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dough
The dough for manti should be firm, but elastic enough to endure rolling in thin sheets. Since it tends to dry out, divide it into 2 or 3 pieces, working one piece at a time, and covering the remaining dough with a wet kitchen towel or cloth. -
filling
The filling for manti is made out of ground meat — usually beef or lamb — combined with onions, salt, and pepper. Since manti dumplings are supposed to be as tiny as possible, the meat needs to be grounded finely, and the onion chopped into small pieces or even grated. The amount of filling should be adjusted to the size of dough squares — for instance, if one square measures 2,5 cm by 2,5 cm, the ... Read more -
baking
After assembling, the manti dumplings need to be baked shortly so they form a crust, which will prevent them from falling apart during cooking. Ten minutes in an oven heated to 180˚C will do, and the trick is to arrange the manti dumplings in a baking pan which has been lightly greased or covered with parchment. After cooling, the manti dumplings can be cooked or frozen for later consumption. -
freezing
To freeze the manti dumplings, cool them thoroughly on a serving platter and place them in a Ziploc bag. They can keep for up to 3 weeks in a freezer. When ready to prepare, do not defrost them, just toss them in simmering salted water -
boiling
There are two ways to boil the manti dumplings. You can simmer them in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or boil them in a pepper/tomato sauce. -
serving
The classic way to serve manti is to drizzle them with yogurt-garlic sauce, followed by spicy red sauce, taking care that the yogurt sauce prevails. Additional garnishings include dried mint leaves and grounded red pepper flakes.
Classic Manti
PREP 1h
COOK 25min
READY IN 1h 25min
The following recipe gives directions on how to make classic Turkish manti from scratch. The filling is a traditional and classic one - ground lamb or beef, onion, salt, and pepper. If you wish, you can also double the stated amounts and freeze some manti for later — they will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Ingredients
Classic Manti
FOR THE DOUGH
300 g all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg
60 ml (¼ cup) water
2 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE FILLING
225 g ground beef or lean ground lamb
1 onion
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
FOR THE GARLIC YOGURT SAUCE
500 g thick and creamy plain yogurt
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
salt
FOR THE RED SAUCE
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Turkish hot pepper paste (biber salçası) or tomato paste
2 tsp dried spearmint
1 tsp (or more) ground sumac (optional)
1 tsp (or more) Turkish red pepper flakes, chili flakes, pul biber
Preparation
1
Classic Manti
Step 1/8
To begin, preheat the oven to 180˚C and make the dough for mantis. Take a large bowl, sift flour and salt in it, creating a well in the center. Whisk one egg, pour it into the flour and salt mixture, follow with water, and combine with your hands. Now, add olive oil and knead until the dough is elastic and lump-free, but still quite firm, for 5 to 8 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen cloth, and place in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 2/8
Next, prepare the filling. Chop the onion into fine pieces or grate it, add the ground meat, and season with salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.
Step 3/8
Now, mix garlic and yogurt in a separate bowl and salt to taste.
Step 4/8
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into three pieces. Lightly flour the working surface, take one piece of the dough, and roll it as thinly as possible, covering the remaining two pieces with a damp towel. Cut the rolled dough into small squares (2,5 cm by 2,5 cm) and place a small amount of meat filling in the center of each square. Now, shape each square into a small pouch by pinching together opposite corners, pressing firmly so the dough sticks together. Repeat with the remaining two pieces of dough.
Step 5/8
Arrange the mantis in a greased baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Let them cool. If you wish to freeze some mantis for later, place them in a Ziploc bag.
Step 6/8
To boil the mantis, simmer them for 8 to 10 minutes in slightly salted water. Drain well and return to the pan they were baked in, drizzling with a little oil to prevent them from sticking.
Step 7/8
To prepare the sauce, heat the oil and stir in biber salcasi (Turkish hot pepper paste) or some tomato paste. Add red pepper flakes, dried spearmint, and sumac, and continue simmering for 1 – 2 minutes.
Step 8/8
To serve, place the mantis on a serving dish and drizzle them with yogurt-garlic sauce, followed by red spicy sauce. Serve hot.
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