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An overhead photo of manti topped with garlic yogurt and spiced oil in a bowl with a spoon. Next to this is a bowl of sumac and a bowl of dried mint.
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Manti (Turkish Dumplings) with Garlicky Yogurt and Spiced Oil

These delicious dumplings with seasoned ground beef and onion are served with a garlic yogurt sauce and a warm, spice-infused olive oil. It takes a bit of time to make mantı but it is worth all the effort. You can make manti ahead of time, par-bake it, and freeze it to use for a rainy day.
Prep Time1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Turkish
Servings: 6
Author: Ozlem Warren

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 2 1/4 cups (300g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup (120g) water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

For the Garlic Yogurt

  • 16 ounces plain whole milk yogurt (thick and creamy Turkish or Greek yogurt preferred)
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • sea salt, to taste

For the Filling

  • 8 ounces lean ground beef or lamb
  • 1 onion, grated or very finely chopped
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For the Spiced Oil

Instructions

Make and Rest the Dough

  • Make the dough. Sift the flour and salt into a wide bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the egg, water and olive oil. Use your hands to slowly draw the flour into the liquid until you have a dough.
  • Knead and rest. On a flour-dusted work surface, knead the dough for about 3–4 minutes until smooth and elastic. Manti dough needs to be quite firm to stretch well when rolling. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Make Garlic Yogurt and Meat Filling

  • Make the garlic yogurt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and garlic. Season with salt to taste. Cover and set aside to bring to room temperature.
  • Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the meat and onion (and any juices from the onion). Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and set aside.

Shape the Manti

  • Get ready to bake. Grease a large sheet tray with a thin layer of olive oil. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Get ready to shape. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into round dough balls. Keep the dough covered with a lightly damp tea towel as you go to prevent it from drying.
  • Roll the dough. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Working one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough as thinly as you can into a sheet, about 12 x 10 inches. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips, and then small squares, about 1-inch each.
  • Shape the manti. Add a small spoonful of filling to the middle of each square (about the size of a chickpea). Pinch the opposite corners together to form a little pouch and press the seams together to seal firmly. Lightly flour your fingers if handling the dough becomes too sticky. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, placing the shaped manti in a single layer in the prepared sheet tray.

Par-Bake, then Boil the Manti

  • Parbake the manti. Bake the dumplings in the hot oven for 8- 10 minutes, until they start to become lightly golden. Set aside to cool before boiling (or freezing to use at a later date, see note).
  • Boil the manti. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, season the water well with salt and gently add the baked dumplings. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and simmer until the dumplings float, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and return the cooked manti to the pan off the heat. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Finish and Serve

  • While manti cooks, prepare the spiced oil. Heat the oil in a wide pan until shimmering, then add the pepper paste or the tomato paste. Stir in the Aleppo pepper, mint, and sumac. Simmer, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute.
  • Serve. Arrange the manti on a warm serving dish and spoon the garlic yogurt over the top. Drizzle with the spiced oil. Optionally, decorate with more mint and sumac. Afiyet Olsun! (It means “May you be happy and healthy with this delicious food you eat” in Turkish).

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, sumac, and Aleppo pepper used in this recipe.
  • To freeze: 
    • Par-bake the dumplings for 8-10 minutes at 350°F, then set aside to cool.
    • Once cool, freeze in a sealed bag for up to 3 weeks.
    • When ready to eat, boil the frozen manti for 10-12 minutes and enjoy with the garlic yogurt and the spiced sauce, as per the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 467.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.5g | Protein: 15.6g | Fat: 24.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14.3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 63.7mg | Sodium: 487.2mg | Potassium: 349.8mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4.8g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 120.8mg | Iron: 3.6mg

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