Manti

About the dish

Manti are the everyday comfort food of Kyrgyzstan, steamed in a special tiered pot called a mantovarka or mantyshnitsa. Unlike their boiled cousins (dumplings or pelmeni), Manti are always steamed — this keeps the filling moist and the dough silky. They are served with kaymak (clotted cream) or sour cream, and sometimes a drizzle of melted butter and a scatter of fresh dill.

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 200 ml warm water
• 1 tsp salt

• 500 g minced lamb (or half lamb, half beef)
• 3 large onions, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• Salt to taste
• 50 g cold butter, diced small (optional — adds extra juiciness)

• Kaymak or sour cream
• Fresh dill or spring onion
• Melted butter

Method

1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Beat the egg into the warm water and pour into the flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Mix together the minced meat, onion, cumin, pepper, coriander, and a generous amount of salt. Stir in the cold butter pieces if using. Keep the filling cold.
3. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece thinly (1–2 mm) and cut into 10 cm squares.
4. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each square. Fold two opposite corners up and pinch together at the top, then seal the remaining two corners up to meet the first join, crimping firmly so no steam escapes.
5. Oil the steamer trays generously. Arrange manti so they don't touch. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 35–40 minutes.
6. Serve immediately with kaymak or sour cream, a knob of butter, and a scatter of fresh dill.