Turkish Manti Dumplings Recipes

TURKISH MANTI DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Make the dough by combining flour, eggs, salt and water until everything holds together. Knead it for 5-10 minutes. It won't be a very soft dough.
• Knead it well until you have a not very soft dough. You can add extra water or flour to have this result. Cover it with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine ground meat, finely chopped onions, parsley, salt and pepper. Put it aside.
• Sift a little flour on the counter. Grab the dough ball and roll it out, not very thin, about 2mm thick.
• Cut it first into strips, then into small squares.
• Place about 1/2 teaspoon filling on each square.
• Close them up patiently. First fold the tiny square into two and seal all the opposite corners of the dough in the center. Put them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Heat 4 cups of water in a pot, add in a pinch of salt and a drop of oil. Bring it to boil. Add in the dumplings and let it simmer until tender, for 10-12 minutes.
• Transfer them into bowls with a slotted spoon.
• For the yogurt sauce, mix yogurt, salt and garlic.
• For the butter and oil sauce, melt butter and add in olive oil. Add in dried mint and red pepper flakes or paprika, stir. Take it after about 20 seconds.
• To serve, pour some yogurt sauce on the dumplings and drizzle a little oil sauce over it before serving.

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.

TATAR BOREGI OR MANTI (TURKISH DUMPLINGS)

Steps:

• Combine filling ingredients (food processor works great) and chill.
• Cut the wraps diagonally, ie. two triangles per wrap. Take approximately half a teaspoon of filling in the shape of a ball and put in the center of each triangle. Have a cup of water nearby, and use your little finger to dampen the sides of each triangle (so the dough will stick) and close them up.
• Place the manti on floured baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling.
• Put all the uncooked manti into the big size Ziploc or in a container with the lid. Keep them in the freezer at least for a day.
• When ready to cook, remove from bag and place on a plate an hour before cooking. Fill a large pot with water, add pinch of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil and bring to boil over medium high heat. Add the manti and stir gently to keep them from sticking to each other. Do not crowd the pot.
• Cook for exactly 9 minutes and then drain. Put on plates.
• While the manti boil, fry the butter in a small pan mixed with the red pepper until browned. When ready to serve, put some garlic yogurt on top of the manti, then drizzle the fried butter over the top.