Beef-Filled Manti (Tiny Dumplings)

Heather
Oct 7
3 min read

Updated: Oct 10

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

There are many varieties of this tiny filled dumpling. We've tried a version called Kayseri Manti filled with beef and topped with a garlic yogurt sauce and butter with red pepper flakes. In our opinion, these wee dumplings are worth the time in the kitchen!

Prep Time: 1-1.5 hrs

Cook time: 3-5 min

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For Manti Dough

300 g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
125ml water
1 egg
3 pinches of salt

For Beef Filling

250 g minced or ground beef
1 onion, grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For Yogurt Garlic Sauce

6-8 tbsp plain yogurt
2 large garlic cloves
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
Cooking water

For Butter Sauce

1 tbsp butter
2 pinches red pepper flakes
Dried mint for topping
Sumac for topping

Directions

Prepare the dough. Put flour, salt, water and egg in your mixer bowl (or other large bowl). Mix with a wooden spoon to get the egg started, and then turn on the mixer with a dough hook until you have a nice soft ball of dough. You can also turn it out on your countertop and knead by hand for abut 10 mins.
Divide the dough into two pieces and place under a damp kitchen towel while you make the filling.
In a medium bowl, mix together beef, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, grated onion until all combined. Set aside.
Lightly flour the counter and roll one piece of dough with your rolling pin. Flip and rotate a few times as you go, until you you a rough circle 50cm in diametre and is about 1.5-2mm thick.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into small squares approx. 1-inch square. Manti are traditionally even smaller, but this is a good starting size if you're making these for the first time. Set a plate or platter on the counter and dust it with flour.
Place a tiny bit of meat filling onto each square. Put flour on one hand, and use the other to place a square in your palm. Lightly dab two opposite corners with water and bring them together. Fold the other two corners into the centre as well. Place the dumpling on the plate or platter dusted with flour, then continue with all the dumplings.

TIP: You can freeze any manti you don't plan to eat now. Later, boil them from frozen.

Set a large saucepan half filled with water to boil. Once boiling, ad a pinch of salt (less than you would salt pasta water), and throw in two whole cloves of garlic. Add the manti and allow to boil for about 3 mins. Taste one to check doneness - if they're not doughy, they are done.
Remove from the water to your serving dishes.
Make the sauces. Take a glass of water from the pot and add a little at a time to the yogurt until is a thick sauce-like consistency. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
To make the butter, melt it gently until it begins to sizzle but not brown. Remove from heat and add pepper flakes. Shake or stir quickly to mix.
Spoon yogurt first and then butter over the manti. Sprinkle with dried mint and sumac. Enjoy!