Description
This recipe for Beef & Sour Cherry Manti with Tomato-Chilli Butter features traditional Turkish-style dumplings filled with a flavorful mix of beef mince, sour cherries, and fragrant spices. The delicate manti dough is handmade and paired with a vibrant tomato and chilli butter sauce, served alongside tangy Greek yogurt and toasted pine nuts for a delightful balance of textures and tastes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 300g Turkish inci flour or ‘00’ pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- fine semolina, for dusting
Filling
- 125g beef mince
- 30g onion (½ small), very finely chopped
- 20g parsley, very finely chopped
- 20g dried sour cherries, chopped
- ½ tsp fennel seeds, ground using a pestle and mortar
- salt, to taste
Tomato-Chilli Butter Sauce
- 200g unsalted butter
- pinch dried oregano
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- 500g tomato passata
- sherry vinegar, to season
- caster sugar, to season
- 1 tbsp pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes)
To Serve
- 125g Greek yogurt
- ½ small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- toasted pine nuts
- thyme leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Place the flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the beaten egg and olive oil, mixing on low speed. Gradually incorporate about 2 tablespoons of water until the mixture begins to clump together. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes until it forms a firm, smooth dough. Divide into four portions, wrap in cling film, and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: Combine beef mince, finely chopped onion, parsley, dried sour cherries, ground fennel seeds, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix well by hand to integrate all ingredients evenly. Fry a small amount in a pan to test seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Roll the dough: Take one piece of dough and feed it through the largest setting on a pasta machine. Fold the dough in half and pass through the machine again, repeating the process until you reach setting 2 or 3 for thin sheets. Lay the rolled dough on a work surface dusted with fine semolina.
- Shape the manti: Cut the dough into squares approximately 6cm by 6cm. Place about 1 teaspoon of the meat filling in the center of each square. Lightly brush the edges with water, then gather the corners up to the center, pinching to seal and form the characteristic manti shape. Place the shaped manti on trays dusted with semolina to prevent sticking. Cover remaining dough to keep moist while working. Chill the assembled manti in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if not cooking immediately.
- Prepare the tomato-chilli butter sauce: Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add dried oregano and stir in tomato purée, cooking briefly to release aromas. Pour in the tomato passata and simmer gently, seasoning with sherry vinegar and caster sugar to balance acidity and sweetness. Stir in the pul biber (Turkish chilli flakes) and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Cook the manti: (Note: as the cooking step for the manti is not explicitly mentioned in the source text, a traditional approach is required.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chilled or fresh manti and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes or until they float and are tender. Drain carefully.
- Prepare the yogurt sauce: Combine the Greek yogurt with finely grated garlic and olive oil in a bowl, mixing until smooth and fragrant.
- Serve: Plate the cooked manti, spoon over the warm tomato-chilli butter sauce. Dollop the garlic yogurt on the side and garnish with toasted pine nuts and thyme leaves for added texture and flavor.
Notes
- Leftover dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen in portions for longer storage.
- You can pre-make and freeze the shaped manti on trays; once frozen, transfer to airtight containers. When cooking from frozen, add 2-3 minutes extra to cooking time.
- Adjust seasoning of the filling by frying a small portion before assembling to ensure balanced flavors.
- If you do not have a pasta machine, you can roll the dough out by hand very thin and cut into squares.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Turkish
Keywords: manti, Turkish dumplings, beef manti, sour cherry, tomato chilli butter, homemade pasta, Turkish cuisine
