You can also use shop bought manti or small tortellini for this manti recipe.
I love making this manti recipe for friends and family but it isn’t a small job. If you’ve ever prepared ravioli or tortellini, you’ll know what I mean. For me, this manti recipe is a real group job and I get everyone around to work, filling the small pieces of pasta with the filling which reduces the preparation time substantially.
About this recipe.
You might just like to try this manti recipe using shop bought manti (Turkish dumplings) or small tortellini. That way, you can try them with the delicious red pepper sauce and garlic yoghurt without having to go to the work of making these yourself.
Personally, I love cooking so I much prefer making this manti recipe with homemade pasta. If in a rush for deliciousness, as family and/or friends to help you with the job. It isn’t difficult work and it can be fun getting everyone together to prepare an amazing meal.
This manti recipe uses beef as a filling but lamb is also popular. Just like when you prepare raviolis, you can fill your manti with whatever you like though. The sauces are out of this world and really Turkish! As Italian as this recipe looks, you will love the flavours of this Turkish specialty.
What are the typical ingredients in manti?
Although Turkish dumpling dish resembles Italian raviolis and tortellini, the sauce in a typical manti recipe it’s the serving sauces that really set it apart.
The Dough: The dough is a lot like Italian pasta dough. You can use plain (all purpose) flour but I prefer to use Italian OO flour as it is finer. To the flour you add a little salt, eggs and just enough water to bring it together into a soft, but slightly stiff dough ball.
The Filling: Although there are vegetarian versions, most manti recipe call for beef, lamb or a mix of the two. To this you add grated onion, salt and pepper and sometimes herbs like parsley and additional seasonings such as paprika, sumac or Allepo chilli powder though I usually leave these spices out as the sauce is flavourful enough.
– **Ground Meat**: Traditionally lamb or beef, though sometimes a mix of the two.
The Toppings: With this manti recipe and most, for that matter, you top the cooked manti with a garlic yoghurt sauce, browed butter, and an olive oil a red bell pepper paste sauce. You then garnish the manti with sumac, dried mint or Italian mixed herbs, parsley and flaky salt to taste.
Can you upscale or downscale this recipe?
Yes and to do so, just do exactly that. You can double the amount of pasta and filling you make for example. You may not need to double the yoghurt sauce or red pepper oil sauce but if you like a lot of sauce you might want to consider doing that.
Can you make this recipe easier on yourself?
As much as I would like you to try this manti recipe with fresh pasta, you could purchase ready-made small tortillini. You can even choose the filling that is in the tortillini as beef is just one of the options.
Then make the yoghurt sauce and the red pepper oil sauce and finish the recipe as in the recipe card below.
Can you keep leftovers in the fridge?
Yes. In fact they are so good but perhaps a little different. There is nothing like eating homemade manti right from the pot with the red pepper and yoghurt sauce! If you do have leftovers, place it all in a bowl and cover tightly with cling film or place in an air tight container. Then just heat it all up in your microwave or in a pan over a medium heat.
Mix it all up and serve. Very good. You can store leftover manti for 2 to 4 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze this manti recipe?
Although you can, I don’t recommend doing so. It just isn’t as good and the yoghurt does not freeze well. The texture will change.
It will still be good but when you are going to all the trouble of making this manti recipe, it might as well be amazing!
Step by step photographs.
Get all your ingredients together before you start preparing the dish.
Pour the sifted flour onto a countertop or into a bowl. Make a well and add the three eggs.
Mix the eggs, salt and flour together with your hands. The mixture will become crumbly.
Slowly begin adding the water, a little at a time until you can bring it all together into a stiff dough. Knead it for at least 10 minutes and then cover with a damp cloth for 30 minutes.
While the pasta dough is resting, prepare the red pepper sauce. Heat 85ml (1/3 cup) olive oil to a pan over medium heat and add the pepper paste.
Begin stirring the pepper paste into the oil. It will break apart and caramelise into the oil. Then add the Aleppo chilli flakes.
Stir in the dried mint and/or Italian dried herbs. Set aside. You will need to heat it back up before serving.
Next roll out about a third of the dough until you have a thin pasta sheet. I use a ruler to make perfect squares for the dumplings. Keep the rest of the dough covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Add the grated onion, parsley and salt and pepper to the beef and mix well to combine.
Add about a chickpea sized piece of the beef mixture to each pasta square.
Form the manti by bringing two opposite corners of the pasta together and then doing the same with the other two corners. Be sure to press the seams closed.
Once you prepare all the manti, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook in batches. The manti will float when ready. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon.
When all of the manti are cooked, add two tbsp butter to the pan and brown it some over a medium heat.
Add the cooked manti to the browned butter and also stir in a couple tablespoons of the red pepper sauce.
Whisk the yoghurt with the minced garlic. Then season with salt to taste. Heat the red pepper sauce too so that you can cover the pasta with it.
Place the manti on a serving plate and top with the red pepper sauce and garlic yoghurt.
Garnish with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of sumac.
If you like this Turkish manti recipe, you might like to try some of these other Turkish recipes too!
- Turkish Style Mediterranean Grilled Fish
- Tantuni – Grilled Steak Wraps
- Beef Shish Kabobs
- Slow Cooked Lamb
- Lahmacun
- Muhammara – A traditional Pepper meze
- Turkish Onion Salad
- Baba Ganoush – Eggplant (Aubergine) meze
- Easy Hummus – Really smooth and delicious
- Turkish Ezme Salad
- Lavash Flatbread
- Homemade Pitas
- Homemade Tahini
- Tahini Sauce
Have you tried this manti recipe?
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Manti Recipe
I recommend getting some friends and/or family to help you making the manti. It's a lot faster and more fun too. Get everyone involved and enjoy and amazing dinner with this manti recipe. You do not need to follow this recipe in the exact order as written. You can prepare the sauce, yoghurt and manti up to two days before serving and just throw them all together to serve.
Ingredients
- 3 cups plain (all purpose) flour or 00 flour
- 3 large eggs
- 70ml (1/4 cup) water
- 1 tsp salt
- FOR THE FILLING
- 500g minced (ground) beef
- 1 small onion, grated
- 4 tbsp flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- FOR THE YOGHURT DRESSING
- 500g (2 cups) Greek yoghurt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- FOR THE SPICED OIL SAUCE
- 85ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste
- 2 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
- 2 tsp dried mint or Italian dried mixed herbs with mint
- 2 tsp sumac
Instructions
- Sift the flour onto a countertop or into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the three eggs. Gradually, mix the eggs, salt and flour together with your hands. The mixture will become crumbly. Slowly begin adding the water, a little at a time until you can bring it all together into a soft but slightly stiff dough. Knead it for at least 10 minutes and then cover with a damp cloth for 30 minutes.
- While the pasta dough is resting, prepare the red pepper sauce. Heat 85ml (1/3 cup) olive oil to a pan over medium heat and add the pepper paste. Begin stirring the pepper paste into the oil. It will break apart and caramelise into the oil. Then add the Aleppo chilli flakes. Stir in the dried mint and/or Italian dried herbs. Set aside. You will need to heat it back up before serving.
- Next roll out about a third of the dough until you have a thin pasta sheet that is about 1/5mm (1/16 in) thick. Keep the rest of the dough covered so it doesn't dry out. I use a ruler to make perfect 2.5 x 2.5cm (1 in x 1 in) squares for the dumplings. This helps keep the manti uniform in size. Add about a chickpea (garbonzo bean) sized piece of the beef mixture to each pasta square.
- Form the manti by bringing two opposite corners of the pasta together and then doing the same with the other two corners. Be sure to press the seams closed. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling,
- Once you prepare all the manti, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook in batches. The manti will float when cooked. Remove from the water with a large slotted spoon. Set aside.
- Now pour the cooking water out of the pan and add two tbsp butter to the pan and brown it some over a medium heat. When the butter is turning a golden brown, add the cooked manti to the butter and also stir in a couple tablespoons of the red pepper oil sauce.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the yoghurt with the minced garlic. Then season with salt to taste. Heat the red pepper oil sauce too so that you can cover the pasta with it.
- Pour the manti on a warmed serving plate and top with the remaining red pepper sauce and garlic yoghurt. Season with some flaky salt and sumac and garnish with chopped parsley.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 1447mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 20g