If you've travelled to Turkey, you've surely experienced Turkish 'manti' (mahn-TUH') at one of Turkey's many 'manti house' restaurants. 'Manti' is a warm, juicy comfort food that is somewhere between ravioli and dumplings.
Tiny squares of freshly prepared dough are filled with a tasty mixture of ground meat, onions and spices. The dumplings are stewed in water or stock then topped with garlic yogurt, various spices and sometimes a tangy tomato sauce.
Turkish ladies, often working in groups, spend hours on end kneading and rolling out fresh dough with a dowel, cutting it into squares and pinching them closed with the filling inside.
In many regions of the country, like the city of Kayseri, the smaller the 'manti' the better. Especially if you want to find a spouse!
Potential brides-to-be in Kayseri are said to be judged on their ability to make tiny 'manti.' Word has it some cooks make it so small you can fit 40 dumplings in one spoonful!
But don't let this scare you. If you want to try making 'manti' at home, there's an easier way.
Try this recipe for 'manti' from Kayseri using ready wonton wrappers, or fresh dough sheets from your pasta machine.
You'll save a lot of time, and your 'manti' will turn out just as delicious and tender as if you spent hours rolling out the dough yourself.
Once you prepare your 'manti,' you can cook and serve it right away, or you can dry it in your oven and store it to be cooked later on.Photo © Ravenna - Fotolia.com