Manti: Turkish ravioli

From börek to çilbir and from halva to kurabiye. Thanks to my Turkish in-laws, a whole new world of food opened up to me. Current favorite? Manti.

Manti or mantu are small dough parcels filled with seasoned ground beef or lamb and are usually served with two sauces: a garlic yogurt sauce and a spicy sauce made with pul biber and melted butter. The combination of the soft, doughy manti and the spicy and fresh sauces is simply heaven. Believe me, this will become your new favorite. So delicious!

Manti vs dumplings

The small dough parcels may remind you of ravioli, but they are more likely related to the Asian dumpling. Which of the two came first is still uncertain: most researchers believe that nomadic peoples brought the manti dough from China and Korea via Mongolia to Turkey, but there are also theories that manti originated in the Middle East and then reached China and Korea via the Silk Road.

In any case: they are worth trying! Boiled, steamed, baked or deep-fried, anything goes.

Tips

Tip for lazy people: some Turkish supermarkets sell frozen manti.
Tip for slightly less lazy people: make a whole lot at once and freeze some bags for later.
Tip for extremely lazy people: you can eat it, among other places, at Mesut 2.