Mantı (Turkish Dumplings)

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 300 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 egg
• 120 ml water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the filling
• 250 g minced lamb
• 1 onion, grated and excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• For the garlic yogurt
• 500 g full-fat yogurt, strained through muslin for 2 hours to labneh-like thickness
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed to a smooth paste
• 1 tsp fine salt
• For the browned butter
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 2 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes, not paprika
• 1 tsp dried mint, added off heat
• To cook
• 3 litres water, generously salted for boiling

Method

1. 1
   Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the egg and lukewarm water. Bring together into a firm dough and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough is ready when it no longer springs back when pressed.
2. 2
   Meanwhile, strain the yogurt through muslin for 2 hours. Once thick, stir in the garlic paste and salt. Keep cold. The yogurt should hold its shape on a spoon rather than run.
3. 3
   Combine the minced lamb, grated onion (well squeezed), salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. The filling should be uniformly seasoned and cohesive — not wet.
4. 4
   Divide the dough into manageable portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion to 1–1.5 mm — thin enough that the filling shows as a shadow through the sheet. Cut into squares of approximately 3–4 cm. Place a chickpea-sized amount of filling at the centre of each square. Bring the four corners together and pinch firmly to seal. This is where the dish lives or dies: wrappers thicker than 1.5 mm shift the textural ratio from delicate to doughy, and any gap in the seal will burst the dumpling in the water.
5. 5
   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the mantı in batches without crowding. Cook until the dumplings rise to the surface and the wrappers are tender but still carry a slight resistance — al dente. Overcooked mantı become slippery and fall apart under the sauces.
6. 6
   While the mantı cook, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling, until it turns a deep golden brown and smells of hazelnuts — noisette stage. Remove from the heat, add the Aleppo pepper flakes, then the dried mint. Allow the mint to bloom in the hot butter for 30 seconds. The butter should smell of toasted milk solids, fruity pepper and aromatic mint.
7. 7
   Drain the mantı and divide among warmed bowls. Spoon the cold garlic yogurt generously over the dumplings, covering them. Immediately drizzle the hot browned butter over the yogurt so that it sizzles on contact. Serve at once — both sauces must meet the dumplings at the moment of service.