Manti (Turkish Dumplings) with Garlicky Yogurt and Spiced Oil

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

Get ready to bake. Grease a large sheet tray with a thin layer of olive oil. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 6

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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

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).

Step 10

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.

Step 11

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.

Step 12

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).