Turkish Dumplings (Mantı)

Time
Total Time 65 min
Health Score
Health Score 7.5/10
Difficulty
Difficulty Hard
Servings
Servings 6

Mantı, often called 'Turkish ravioli', is a beloved dish that takes time and patience to prepare but is worth every minute. This recipe makes enough to freeze for later use - a great time-saving option for busy moms. While traditionally very small, you can make them slightly larger when cooking with children or for family meals. The key to perfect mantı is getting the dough thin enough and sealing the dumplings well. The combination of garlicky yogurt sauce, butter, and spices makes this dish irresistible to both children and adults. A perfect project for a weekend when you can freeze extra portions for quick weekday meals.

Nutrition Information

High Protein
245kcal
Calories
12g
Protein
32g
Carbohydrates
8g
Fat
2g
Fiber
45mg
Calcium
2.2mg
Iron
0.8
vitamin b12
1.5
zinc

Ingredients

  • For the dough:
  • 3.5 cups flour
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • For the filling:
  • 250g lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • For cooking:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • For the sauce:
  • Garlic yogurt
  • 1 dessert spoon dried mint
  • 1 dessert spoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 dessert spoon sumac

Instructions

  1. For the dough:
  2. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl
  3. Add egg and lukewarm water
  4. Knead until you get a smooth, non-sticky dough
  5. Cover and rest for 30 minutes
  6. For the filling:
  7. Finely chop the onion
  8. Mix ground beef, chopped onion, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt
  9. Rolling and filling:
  10. Divide dough into 4 parts
  11. Roll each part very thin
  12. Cut into small squares (about 2-3 cm)
  13. Place a small amount of filling in center of each square
  14. Fold corners to center and pinch to seal, forming a small bundle
  15. For cooking fresh mantı:
  16. Boil water with salt
  17. Cook mantı until they float to surface (about 10-15 minutes)
  18. For the sauce:
  19. Prepare garlic yogurt
  20. Mix dried mint, red pepper flakes, and sumac
  21. Final preparation:
  22. Melt butter and mix with tomato paste
  23. Drain cooked mantı
  24. Top with garlic yogurt
  25. Drizzle with spiced butter sauce
  26. Sprinkle with herb and spice mixture
  27. For freezing:
  28. Place uncooked mantı on a tray without touching
  29. Freeze until solid
  30. Transfer to freezer bags
  31. Can be stored frozen for up to 3 months

Serving Tips

  • Serve hot immediately after preparing sauce
  • Can be garnished with additional dried mint and red pepper
  • For children, serve with less spicy butter sauce
  • When cooking frozen mantı, don't thaw first - cook directly from frozen
  • Can be served with additional plain yogurt on the side
  • Store any leftover cooked mantı in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
  • When reheating, add a splash of water to prevent drying