Turkish Manti: Tiny Dumplings with Yoghurt

Turkish Manti: Tiny Dumplings with Yoghurt

Turkish manti are tiny dumplings of lamb or beef served with garlic yoghurt and paprika butter. The smaller the manti, the greater the cook's skill: the ideal is seven in one spoon.

History of the dish

Manti came to Turkey from Central Asia via Anatolia. Similar dishes exist among Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Uyghurs. Kayseri manti (from the city of Kayseri) are considered the most traditional and the smallest.

Key ingredients

Dough (flour, egg, water, salt), filling (lamb or beef mince, onion, salt, pepper). Sauce: yoghurt, grated garlic, salt. Butter: butter, paprika, dried mint.

How to cook at home

Roll the dough very thin (1 mm). Cut into 3–4 cm squares. Place a tiny ball of mince in the centre and pinch the four corners together. Boil in salted water for 8–10 minutes. Pour over the yoghurt and hot paprika butter immediately before serving.