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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Turkish manti with garlic yogurt

Turkish manti are tiny hand folded beef dumplings, served under a garlic yogurt sauce and a drizzle of butter melted with chile. This recipe serves 4, takes 1 hour 40 minutes, is rated medium difficulty, and costs about €2.60 per person. The trick is rolling the dough very thin and cutting even squares.

This Sunday, let's have fun folding manti, those tiny Turkish dumplings topped with garlic yogurt and spicy butter.

Turkish manti with garlic yogurt
Total time
1 h 40
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Manti look like small pinched dumplings, barely bigger than a bite. Once cooked, they get topped with cold garlic yogurt, then a drizzle of chile butter that warms and colors the whole plate. That contrast between cold yogurt and hot butter is what makes the dish so good.

This is a no rush Sunday recipe, best made together around the table while everyone folds squares of dough. Kids love joining in on the folding, even if their manti end up a bit bigger than yours. Serve it as a main course in winter, when you want a meal that keeps your hands busy before it warms you up.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Sweet paprika or chile flakesoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Dried mintoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Egg 1
  • Plain yogurt 400 g
  • Butter 40 g

Butcher

  • Ground beef 250 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Parsley 1 bunch
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Mix the flour, egg, a pinch of salt, and about 12 cl of water, knead into a firm dough and let it rest. 30 min

    The dough needs to be firm so it cuts into neat little squares.

  2. Mix the ground beef with the grated onion, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.

    Press the grated onion in a kitchen towel, the filling will be less watery.

  3. Roll the dough out very thin, cut it into squares of about 3 cm, fill each with a small ball of filling and pinch the corners together.

    Lightly flour the counter, this dough sticks fast.

  4. Cook the manti in salted boiling water, then drain them. 10 min

    They're done once they've floated to the surface for about 2 minutes.

  5. Mix the yogurt with crushed garlic, spoon it over the manti, then pour over the melted butter with chile and mint.

    Let the butter foam with the chile, it flavors and colors the yogurt.

Our tips to get it right

  • Keep the dough on the firm side, if it's too soft it sticks to the counter and the squares lose their shape when pinched.
  • Shape the raw manti ahead of time on a floured kitchen towel, they hold up for a few hours in the fridge before cooking.
  • Save a splash of the cooking water to loosen the garlic yogurt if it turns out too thick once mixed.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground lamb for a stronger flavor, common in some Turkish versions.
  • For a vegetarian version, fill the manti with a mix of fresh cheese and parsley instead of meat.
  • Short on time, cut larger squares and just fold them into triangles instead of pinching four corners, they'll cook faster.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber and fresh mint salad
  • Warm Turkish flatbread
  • A light black tea after the meal

Storage

Raw manti freeze very well on a floured tray and can go straight from the freezer into boiling water. Once cooked and topped, they don't keep well, so make the yogurt and butter only right before serving. Leftover plain cooked manti keep for 2 days in the fridge in a closed container.

Questions about this dish

Can you make manti ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape them the day before and keep them in the fridge on a floured towel, or freeze them raw on a tray. Add the yogurt and butter only right before serving.

Can you use a different meat?

Ground lamb works very well and gives a more traditional flavor. Ground pork also works if you're not after authenticity.

How do you get even, uniform manti?

Roll the dough as thin as possible and cut squares of the same size before pinching the four corners. A firm dough and a lightly floured counter keep them from losing their shape.

Do kids like manti?

Yes, especially if they help fold the little squares of dough. You can serve their portion with less chile in the butter.

How long does it take to make a plate of Turkish manti with garlic yogurt?

Count 1 h 40 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a plate of Turkish manti with garlic yogurt?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a plate of Turkish manti with garlic yogurt cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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