Turkish Manti Recipe

5 from 3 votes

This Turkish Manti recipe walks you through the whole process, step by step, so making these tiny hand-folded dumplings feels manageable instead of intimidating.

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Low Salt

Servings: people

Calories: 760kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Ingredients

For the Manti Dough

1⅔ cups plain flour (200 grams)
1 medium egg
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup water (80 ml)

For the Filling

4½ oz ground beef (125 grams)
1 small onion (grated)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon chili

For the Tomato Sauce

¼ stick butter (30 grams)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ teaspoon chili (optional)
½ teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon dried mint
½ cup water

For the Yogurt Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt or plain natural yogurt
1 clove garlic (minced)
pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the water and egg, and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.
You can also use a food processor or a stand mixer to make the dough.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and set aside for 30 minutes.

Prepare the Meat Filling

Because Turkish manti dumplings are traditionally very small in size, I suggest you grate the onions instead of chopping them to ensure they are evenly distributed in the filling.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ground beef (or lamb), grated onion, salt, black pepper, and chili (or paprika).

Shape the Dumplings

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and turn them into balls.
On a floured surface, roll out one of the dough balls into a circle as thin as you can, approximately 18 " (45 cm) in diameter. Keep the other dough ball covered to prevent it from drying out.
You can roll the dough out using a pasta machine if you have one. It will make the process much quicker.
Cut the dough into 1 " (3 cm) squares using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
Place a small amount of the meat mixture (roughly half the size of a chickpea) in the center of each square.
Pull up the four corners of the dough around the filling, pressing the four seams firmly between your fingers to seal them shut.
Place the dumplings on a generously floured baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together.

Cook and Serve Manti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat.
Add the dumplings to the boiling water and cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the tomato paste, chili, sumac, and dried mint.
To loosen the sauce, add ½ cup (100 ml) of water and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl, mix together yogurt, garlic paste, and a pinch of salt.
When serving the Manti, pour some yogurt over the dumplings and drizzle a generous amount of tomato sauce on top just before serving.
Sprinkle with additional sumac and dried mint for extra flavor.

Video

Notes

To achieve the desired thinness and evenness, roll the dough using a thin rolling pin called an oklava or a pasta machine.
The dough should feel like your earlobe when you pinch it, soft with a little resistance, not sticky and not stiff.
Grate the onions instead of chopping them so they distribute evenly in the filling.
Use ground beef or lamb with a good fat content so the filling stays juicy and full of flavor.
Place the dumplings on a generously floured tray or baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together.
Cook in plenty of boiling, salted water with a drop of oil added, this stops the dumplings sticking together.
The sauce carries most of the flavor in this dish, so take the time to get the butter, tomato paste, and spices right.
To store: keep cooked Manti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze: freeze the raw, assembled dumplings on a tray until firm, then split them into smaller bags of about 125g (roughly one serving) each and transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months. You can cook them straight from frozen, no need to thaw, just add a few extra minutes to the boiling time.
No sumac on hand? A little lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice gets you close to the same tartness.
For gluten-free: a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can work if you handle the dough gently, though the texture will be a little more delicate.
For vegetarian or vegan: for a lentil filling, simmer the lentils until just barely firm and pulse briefly in a food processor rather than mashing smooth. Well-drained mashed potato or sautéed mushrooms work too, and a dairy-free yogurt makes the dish fully vegan.
This recipe yields 2 portions, but you can easily double or triple it by using the button located at the top right of the recipe card.

Nutrition