Manti
January 9, 2014 • Category: Main Dish
Manti or mante is a traditional Armenian dish; the closest Lebanese or Syrian equivalent to manti is shish barak, yet they are definitely not the same!
To make manti, you need the patience of an angel or (in my case) willing helpers; there were four of us filling these tiny little boats of dough with meat. These tiny parcels are then roasted dry till they take on a golden color; they get then drenched in a simple sauce till the pasta soaks it up, then served with a yogurt sauce dimpled with red pepper or sumac. I found some shortcuts along the way that I will share, but I would definitely not use commercial wonton wrappers and stick to homemade pasta dough.
Found a special rolling pin in Beirut called mantimatic; however, any restaurant supply outlet in the US or kitchen supply store sells a pasta cutter shaped like an accordeon where the blades can be adjusted (widened or narrowed) at will. This would make it easier to cut even ribbons in one roll, then turn the other way at a 90 degree angle and cut them again to make perfect squares (see picture below)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH: Two recipes are available and common; either make a pasta dough with eggs and flour or a simple dough with flour and water. I picked the pasta dough because the dough stays moist and is then easier to pinch the little boats shut at both ends.
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup water
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 pound ground lamb (or beef or both)
1 small onion, shredded or grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp red pepper powder or paprika
pinch black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup oil or melted butter to brush on the mantis
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE:
2 cups water or beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon red pepper paste (can use a few drops of tabasco sauce instead or red chili sauce)
pinch of salt and black pepper and paprika
2 cups yogurt
1/2 tsp garlic paste with salt
1 tablespoon red pepper powder (Aleppo pepper) or sumac or a few drops of chili sauce
1. Combine the meat with the spices and grated onion and parsley; set aside in a bowl covered in the fridge.
2. Make the manti dough; place in a mixer bowl the flour, salt, eggs, spices and start the machine; add the water and oil until the dough is smooth, moist but firm. Roll it up in plastic wrap, set it aside for one hour or two. When ready to make the manti, roll it out as thin as possible and cut it into small squares, about 1″X1″. Place 1/2 tsp of meat filling on each square and pinch both ends simultaneously so that the dumpling looks like a tiny boat. Grease a pan and place each manti side by side on the pan. Gently brush the top of the manti with the melted butter or oil (or spray oil on the surface)
3. Preheat the oven to 350F and roast the mantis until they take on a golden color; meanwhile, heat the water, red pepper paste and tomato paste which will be used to baste the manti, making sure the mixture is almost boiling; pour the sauce all over the manti and reinsert in the oven. Leave in the oven for about 10 minutes or so or until the manti have absorbed the sauce almost entirely. Meanwhile, whip the yogurt and garlic with a fork till smooth and pour into a saucer to serve alongside.
4. Serve with yogurt and a dash of red pepper powder or sumac or a few drops of chili sauce on top of the yogurt sauce.
NOTE: When making the manti dough, a little more a little less flour or water can be used; the idea is to get the dough moist but firm; when rolling it out, sprinkle the counter with some flour if it sticks too much.
Comments
33 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
A fabulous and mouthwatering dish! Something I’d love to make…
Cheers,
Rosa
On January 9, 2014 at 10:29 am
Magda says:
Love it Joumana! My grandfather made the Greek version of this dish and he passed the recipe down to me. I treasure it.
What amazing little boats you made 🙂
On January 9, 2014 at 11:19 am
Jamie says:
Good golly, Joumana, the patience of a saint to make these but how gorgeous when done! I have actually seen these somewhere and find them fascinating both as a dish and culturally. But once again a dish I would love to taste. I love the flavors in the dishes from that side of the world.
On January 9, 2014 at 11:21 am
karin@yumandmore says:
a wonderful and simple Manti recipe. this is one of my favorite dishes and homemade makes all the difference! thank you ;D
On January 9, 2014 at 12:34 pm
Aline says:
My favorite Armenian food!
On January 9, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Belinda @zomppa says:
These look like gorgeous flowers!!
On January 9, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Chris says:
My wife’s family (Armenian) serves it as a soup — after it’s baked, into chicken broth and topped with garlic yogurt.
http://www.weheartfood.com/2007/09/manti-hooray-and-swiss-chard-with.html
On January 9, 2014 at 6:06 pm
Joumana says:
@Chris: Thanks for your input! I heard about the soup and may try it once; this would be closer to the shish barak here which is more of a soup.
On January 11, 2014 at 3:02 am
Elena says:
A little different version of this traditional dish – Uzbek-style
http://www.orexca.com/cuisine_uzbekistan.shtml
this version calls to special cookware and method of preparing is steaming so it’s a little same as a Dim sum.
On January 11, 2014 at 1:35 am
Joumana says:
@Elena: Thanks, apparently this dish has its roots with the Mongols when they invaded the region, so it makes sense that it would be from these parts!
On January 11, 2014 at 2:59 am
Alicia (foodycat) says:
What a labour of love! I’ve had the Afghani version but never tried to make it myself.
On January 11, 2014 at 10:06 am
Sylva says:
This is very delicious. I make it 4 times a year, I applaud you one the heroic effort Joumana! It’s quite a bit of work. I am way too lazy to make these from scratch, so I use wonton wrappers instead. Yours look absolutely beautiful.
On January 12, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Joumana says:
@Sylva: we were all stoic, I think; but group effort definitely helps! 🙂
On January 13, 2014 at 12:23 am
Sylva says:
Finally my comment went through , I’ve been struggling with it for a long time. <3
On January 12, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Oui, Chef says:
WOW….what a treat! A true labor of love for those lucky enough to dine at your table….just fabulous!
On January 13, 2014 at 3:15 pm
Hélène (Cannes) says:
Oh qu’est-ce que c’est beau ! Je dois absolument essayer de faire ça vite ! Impressionnant !
On January 14, 2014 at 1:36 am
Weavethousandflavors says:
My goodness Joumana what a spectacular labor of love. I must admit it has been a while since I made something so involves and I love it. What a wonderful dish to make with a few helping hands. Wonderful and it must be uber delish. Happy New Year dearie – a bit late but no less heartfelt.
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
On January 23, 2014 at 7:26 am
Hatice says:
Hello, Merhaba, 3awafeh, Salam 3alaykom, Ca Va.
Manti is the Turkish word for what we call Shish Barak, as you said, though we don’t serve it the same way. Being half Turkish and half Lebanese with chefs on both sides of my family, I had the privilege of learning and working with both Turkish and Lebanese cuisines. What I don’t like about your food blog, is that numerous times you have, most likely on purpose, mistaken Turkish food for Armenian. Manti is most definitely a Turkish dish and the way you have made it is not traditional at all. Firstly, you either have a tomato based manti, or a yogurt (Turkish word) based Manti. The Manti is first boiled and then put into a bowl and yogurt mixed with garlic and salt is put on top. Then, melted butter (or samneh if you like) is poured over the top and you put sumac and mint on it (or other toppings, however I like those.) The Lebanese version of Manti, Shish Barak, are bigger and look like little UFO’s and are cooked in yogurt that has cornflour mixed in to thicken it slightly, with corriander (cilantro) and garlic.
I’d really like to continue reading your blog, but your constant and very visible dislike of Turks is off putting. Its just food, wars and whatever are over now.
And just for yours and any one elses reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manti_(dumpling)
On March 31, 2014 at 7:49 am
Joumana says:
@Hatice: I am wondering where in my posted recipes do you get the idea that I have a “constant and very visible dislike of Turks”?? Or is it because I say that manti is Armenian? I am sorry this has offended you so deeply. I recall that Armenians did live in Turkey, Cilicia and most likely Armenian and Turkish food have a lot of commonnalities; I read also that manti is actually of Mongolian origin and goes back to Asia, and that it dates back to the Mongolian invasion of the region several centuries ago. A similar dish can be found in Afghanistan, for example, called mantoo. Personally, I prefer NOT to get bogged down in this debate. Please remember that nationalities is a relatively modern concept and many dishes in one country or another have a history that predates the country’s existence, which is relatively new. I simply like to post recipes and inform people of their source, given to me by the recipe creator. That’s all; even in a country the size of Lebanon, the same dish, say shish barak, is prepared differently depending on the region or community. The Lebanese version of shish barak I know of is tiny, I have only seen big ones made in Syria. This discussion could go on, with every person claiming to have THE only true answer. I don’t. I am not a culinary historian.
On March 31, 2014 at 9:38 am
Nanobug80 says:
What? Hatice, I am an 80-year-old woman of Armenian descent. My great-grandmother cooked her Armenian manti just the way this wonderful authentic recipe does it.
Keep your Turkish/Armenian war out of it.
So silly! who cares? Are you starting a food fight?
Really…
Enjoy this great meal, an authentic Armenian Manti recipe, and celebrate our lives.
Joumana,
thanks a million for this recipe. I will pass it along to my great-grandchildren.
On April 21, 2018 at 3:29 pm
Ross says:
I don’t find food fights often on recipe blogs, but as a bystander I found this one interesting after reading “On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome With Love and Pasta”: Jen Lin-Liu, which is a noodle tracking real journey across half the world, with many references to Manti like dishes. My Korean daughter in law cooks traditional Mandoo a long way from Lebanon/Turkey/Armenia.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158480-on-the-noodle-road
On October 31, 2015 at 1:28 am
Joumana says:
@Ross: How interesting~~~!!!! Thanks for sharing the article~ 🙂
On November 3, 2015 at 8:44 pm
Janette Nason says:
I would like to comment on what Hatice made reference to a couple of years ago.
“Wars and whatever are over now”. I don’t know how old Hatice is, but I am old enough to have a mother who came from parts of Turkey where there was still torture going on. It was NOT a war by the way. It was GENOCIDE in fact. And since the Turkish government still denies it to this day….. it is very important we keep this horrible memory/ nightmare alive.
These people were horribly tortured and raped and starved to death. If we just put this all in the past and ” forget about it” not only would these people have suffered and died in vein but their tortureres would have gotten away with something disgraceful and given justice to future cruelty to continue.
On December 16, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Joumana Accad says:
@Janette Nason: Hatice accused me of “a very visible and constant dislike of Turks”. Her accusation was not substantiated with facts and is in fact totally false. The Armenian genocide was factual and historical. I don’t refer to it , since this is a culinary blog. I am appalled that the human race (across the board, all races) continues this practice here and there and everywhere and in most cases with impunity. When I mention a recipe as being “Armenian” its because there is a large Armenian community in Lebanon who moved here after and during the massacres and their cuisine has become enmeshed with Lebanese cuisine to a large extent. I have very little experience with Turkish cuisine and since both peoples lived side-by-side on the same land, it is only natural that there should be commonalities in their cuisines. Just like in Lebanon, many words and dishes are Turkish or have Turkish roots or are influenced by the Ottomans who ruled the region for centuries up until the end of WWI. My grandparents were considered Turkish citizens. Lebanon did not exist then. The Ottoman empire was gigantic and lasted for 400 years if I remember correctly..
On December 16, 2016 at 8:45 pm
Colette says:
Hi, I was wondering how many servings this recipe is for?
On October 17, 2017 at 8:45 am
Hanan says:
I made it today. The recipe is for 2 servings.
On October 22, 2017 at 6:38 pm
Euroinex.sk says:
Hmm it seems like your site ate my first comment (it was super
long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say, I’m thoroughly
enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new
to everything. Do you have any helpful hints for novice blog
writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.
On October 23, 2017 at 6:59 pm
Lévon says:
Joumana! We love you, and your recipes. Your recipes are just great!
I even have purchased your wonderful cookbook for myself and for my two daughters. They too absolutely love the book:) I’m a proud Lebanese, who also happened to be an Armenian. My mother and her mother were survivors of the horrible Armenian Genocide. My mother who was two years old at the time, lost her father, four brothers and six uncles. And my fathers side, the entire family was killed. Which prompted my father at a young age of 20, who was studying in America, return and join the Armenian Resistance Movement, trying to save what was left of them. So the pain is very real, and is even worse when we still have vengeful, heartless people from Turkey who still haven’t seen the light of justice. Just to set that person straight. Most of the Automan chefs who developed these recipes with Turkish sounding names ( which she so proudly tried to point out) were Armenians. Just like their most prominent Architects ( Sinan, the tree generations of Balian Family of Architects) to name few, who built those great looking mosques, Parks, Museums, Palaces, Government buildings, Universities, and anything and everything of importance to the Automan rulers. Therefore, of course those dishes have Turkish names. What else! By the way, there are well documented in a two hundred eighty year old book, which I recently came across while I was visiting Armenia on Doctors Without Borders mission. The books are at “The Armenian National Library” (Madenatatan). There were also many similar books of Armenian recipes written over six hundred years ago, wich at a time there were no traces of Mongolians (Turks) in that part of the world.
On May 5, 2018 at 8:27 am
Nanobug says:
Let the truth shine Levon!
Nothing but Truth and Love should be allowed in our daily lives.
Also good Armenian food …. 🙂
On May 5, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Coco in the Kitchen says:
Oh, Joumana. I have been searching for a delish recipe and yours is the one! Thanks for sharing. xoxo
On January 31, 2019 at 5:55 pm
Marina Shamaly says:
Another ignorant Turk making dumb comments, LOL!
On May 26, 2020 at 2:06 am
Leslie says:
This has become a favorite in our 2020 Quarantine pod. Only improvement we’ve made to it is putting the parsley and onion in the food processor for fine fine chopping – our knife skills are a work in progress. For the broth, we added shallots and butter until browned, then the pastes and spices, mixed it up, then add whatever broth we have on hand – just happened to have goose broth from thanksgiving – exquisitely flavorful! Joumana, thank you for this wonderful gift to our family!
On December 29, 2020 at 4:03 pm
Joumana Accad says:
@Leslie Great idea!
On January 14, 2021 at 2:42 pm