Turkish Cheesy Manti Delight (Printable)

Tender bite-sized dumplings filled with creamy cheese, served with garlicky yogurt sauce and spiced butter.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1/2 cup water (add more as needed)

→ Cheese Filling

05 - 1 cup crumbled Turkish white cheese or feta
06 - 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Yogurt Sauce

09 - 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
10 - 1 garlic clove, minced
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Spiced Butter

12 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 1 teaspoon paprika
14 - 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or chili flakes

# Steps:

01 - Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well, add egg and water. Mix and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more water if necessary. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
02 - Combine crumbled Turkish white cheese, ricotta, parsley, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed.
03 - Stir together Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
04 - Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface very thin, about 2 mm. Cut into 1.5-inch squares.
05 - Place approximately 1/2 teaspoon of cheese filling onto each square. Pinch corners to seal and form small dumplings.
06 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook dumplings in batches for 5 to 7 minutes until they float and become tender. Drain well.
07 - Melt butter in a small pan. Stir in paprika and Aleppo pepper, cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
08 - Place dumplings on plates. Spoon yogurt sauce over them, then drizzle with spiced butter. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These tiny dumplings are ridiculously comforting, especially when that garlicky yogurt hits them warm from the pot.
  • It feels like you're doing something fancy, but honestly, the rhythm of folding them becomes almost meditative.
  • The spiced butter finish tastes like you've been cooking Turkish food your whole life, even if you haven't.
02 -
  • The dough must rest; skipping this makes it impossible to roll thin without tearing, and thin dough is what makes manti special.
  • Don't overfill the dumplings no matter how tempted you are; they'll burst open and lose everything into the water, which I learned the hard way on my second batch.
  • Fresh is best; make them as close to serving as possible, though you can freeze them unbaked for up to two weeks if life gets in the way.
03 -
  • A pizza cutter makes cutting the dough into squares faster and cleaner than a knife, and your wrists will thank you.
  • If your dough is resisting and springing back, let it rest for another five minutes; dough has moods, and respecting them makes everything easier.
  • Taste your filling before you fold—manti is only as good as what goes inside, and a moment of seasoning now saves regret later.
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