Manti (Uzbekistan)

World-Bites (55) / Manti

Manti (meat dumplings) is the most popular and favorite Uzbek dish. In the Fergana valley, Samarkand, Tashkent and Bukhara, Manti is one of the major components of the diet of the local population. In other places, it is prepared on special occasions. The dish is juicy, flavorful, scrumptious and completely depends on fresh ingredients. It does take about 4 hours to make, from starting the dough until you taste your first deliciously luscious manta (manti is plural of manta).

Ingredients for filling:
Lamb – 500grams
Lamb fat – 50 grams (optional)
Onions – 4-6 medium
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin – to taste

Ingredients for dough:
All purpose white flour – 400 g
Water – 1/2 cup
Salt

Steps for the Dough:
1. Salt the water to be saltier than what you think is salty enough. Add the salted water to the flour and mix until the dough comes together.
2. When the dough comes together, separate it into 2 equal parts and let rest for about half an hour.
3. Kneed the dough until it’s all soft and no more lumps are visible.
4. Roll it out to be very thin (not too thin, but thin enough to steam the meat mixture that will go inside, about 1/4 of an inch, or slightly less).
5. Cut the dough into about 3 inch squares. If the squares aren’t exact, that’s OK.

Steps for the meat:

1. Dice the meat into very small pieces, about 1/16th inch in size. Dice/Mince the fat too. None of that ground meat some recipes call for.
2. Dice/mince the onion to be in very small pieces, but don’t use the grater or a food processor. You want pieces of onion, not just onion juice and pulp.
3. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
4. Mix all together. The fat gives the juice/moisture/flavor when the packets are steamed.

Steps for assembling:
1. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of the dough square.
2. Fold 2 opposite sides of the dough so they meet above the meat mixture.
3. Fold the other 2 sides just like in Step 2. Now you should have all sides folded up above the meat mixture and you have 4 corners.
4. Put your finger to one of the side and fold 2 corners so they meet.
5. Do the same Step 4 on the opposite side. The top should look like it has an “8″ on the top.

To cook, place these assembled manti into a steamer . Fill the main pot with about 8-10 cups of water and boil. Let it boil for about 45 minutes, and manti should be all ready.