Manti Recipes

MANTI

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in center, and add egg. Using your hands, gently draw flour mixture into egg. Gradually add the cold water, and continue to work dough with your hands or a spoon until it forms a smooth mass.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and springs back when pressed, 5 to 8 minutes. Divide dough into 2 balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Make the filling: Gently combine lamb, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. (Filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 portion of dough into a 16-by-10-inch oblong about 1/16 inch thick. Using a ruler, cut dough into 1 1/4-inch squares with a pizza wheel or a paring knife. Keep remaining dough covered with a damp kitchen towel while you work.
• Spoon 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of 1 dough square. Gently pull 2 opposite corners outward to stretch dough slightly, then pull up to meet in center, and pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining 2 corners, making sure all air has been pressed out. Pinch together all 4 corners to form a point, then pinch along all 4 seams to seal. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat. Remove towel, and cover with a piece of parchment. (Dumplings can be refrigerated on baking sheets, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 day. Alternatively, freeze on baking sheets, uncovered, for 2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.)
• For cooking and serving: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange manti in a single snug layer in dish. Bake until fragrant and tops and corners are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring stock, cinnamon, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a saucepan. Remove baking dish from oven, and add enough stock mixture to dish so that all but the tops of manti are submerged. Cover tightly with parchment and then foil, and bake until soft, about 25 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, stir together yogurt or labneh and garlic paste in a medium bowl. When manti have finished cooking, tilt baking dish, collect about 1/4 cup liquid with a ladle, and stir into yogurt sauce (sauce should be spoonable).
• Melt remaining 7 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until amber, about 7 minutes.
• Divide manti among shallow serving bowls. Spoon yogurt sauce over top, drizzle with browned butter, and sprinkle with mint and red pepper.

HOMEMADE MANTI (TRADITIONAL TURKISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and water, mixing well with your hands. Add more water, if needed, to form a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Shred the onions and place them in a colander or sieve set over a bowl; drain the juice and discard. Combine the onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper; mix the meat well with a spoon until mashed.
• Divide the dough into two portions and lightly flour a work surface. Keep one piece of dough covered while you roll out the second portion into a rectangle, rolling the dough as thin as you can. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch squares with a knife or pastry wheel.
• Place about 2 teaspoons of the meat filling in the center of each square. Seal the dumplings by gathering the edges of the dough and pinching them together at the top to form a bundle. Transfer the finished manti to a floured plate, and sprinkle more flour over the manti to prevent sticking. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over low heat just until the pepper flakes have started to color the oil; don't let them burn. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Stir the minced garlic into the yogurt and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook the manti until the filling is no longer pink, and the dough is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well. Divide the manti among four plates. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the manti and drizzle each serving with the hot pepper oil.

MANTI (TRADITIONAL TURKISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and water, mixing well with your hands. Add more water, if needed, to form a soft dough. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
• Shred the onions and place them in a colander or sieve set over a bowl; drain the juice and discard. Combine the onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper; mix the meat well with a spoon until mashed.
• Divide the dough into two portions and lightly flour a work surface. Keep one piece of dough covered while you roll out the second portion into a rectangle, rolling the dough as thin as you can. Cut the rectangle into 2-inch squares with a knife or pastry wheel.
• Place about 2 teaspoons of the meat filling in the center of each square. Seal the dumplings by gathering the edges of the dough and pinching them together at the top to form a bundle. Transfer the finished manti to a floured plate, and sprinkle more flour over the manti to prevent sticking. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
• Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over low heat just until the pepper flakes have started to color the oil; don't let them burn. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Stir the minced garlic into the yogurt and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook the manti until the filling is no longer pink, and the dough is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain well. Divide the manti among four plates. Spoon the yogurt sauce over the manti and drizzle each serving with the hot pepper oil.

MANTI (TURKISH 'RAVIOLI' WITH YOGURT SAUCE)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, mint, and ravioli. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the ravioli float to the top, then drain and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in paprika, and keep warm as the ravioli are cooking. Stir garlic into the yogurt.
• To serve, place the drained ravioli onto a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the yogurt on top of the ravioli, then ladle paprika butter over top.

MANTY FROM KAZAKHSTAN

Steps:

• Place bay leaves and peppercorns in just over 1/3 cup water and boil breifly. Remove leaves and peppercorns, set aside.
• Slowly fry onions until golden. Half way through the cooking, add spice mix, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl, mix ground meat, onion mixture, and the boiled water. Set aside.
• Mix dough ingredients and kneed well. Shape dough into balls the size of walnuts. Flatten these, and add 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture. Fold dough around the meat to form triangles. Normally, these are steamed, but if you prefer to bake them, add oil or butter to the dough.
• While they are cooking, mix the yogurt with grated garlic and crushed mint, stir well. When manty are ready, place them on a serving platter and cover them with the yogurt sauce. Serve hot.