Baked beef manti with garlic yoghurt and spiced honey butter

Ingredients

• 60square dumpling wrappers
• For greasing and drizzlingextra-virgin olive oil
• To servesumac
• To servedill fronds
• 1 smallSpanish onion, grated
• 2 small clovesgarlic, crushed
• 275 gminced beef
• 1 tsp eachground cumin and sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp eachground coriander, ground allspice and dried mint
• 15 g (1/2 cup, firmly packed)parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 200 gGreek-style yoghurt
• 1 small clovegarlic, crushed
• Finely grated zest of 1lemon
• To tasteseasoning
• 125 gsalted butter
• 1 tbspfloral honey
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 1 tbspTurkish hot pepper paste (biber salçasi)
• 1/2 tsp eachdried chilli flakes and Aleppo pepper
• To tasteseasoning

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Mix the grated onion and crushed garlic with the beef, cumin, paprika, coriander, allspice, dried mint, parsley, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper. Roll teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

2. 2

   Mix the yoghurt

   Stir the yoghurt, crushed garlic and lemon zest together in a bowl, then season.

3. 3

   Fill and bake

   Heat the fan-forced oven to 180°C. Use a 6.5 cm square cutter to trim the wrappers, discarding the scraps. Working with one wrapper at a time, place a meatball in the centre, brush the edges with water, bring opposite corners together and press the edges closed in a cross shape. Arrange on a baking tray lined with lightly oiled baking paper and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 10–12 minutes, until golden.

4. 4

   Make the butter

   While the manti bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the butter is nut brown. Add the honey, lemon juice, hot pepper paste, chilli flakes and Aleppo pepper, then whisk until the honey dissolves. Season.

5. 5

   Assemble the bowls

   Spread the garlic yoghurt across the bases of four serving bowls. Add the manti, drizzle over the spiced honey butter and finish with sumac and dill fronds.

What are manti?

Manti are small filled dumplings associated with Turkish cooking and found in related forms across the region. They are often served with yoghurt and a rich, spiced butter sauce.

This version bakes the dumplings rather than boiling them, giving the wrappers a crisp outside while the beef filling cooks inside. Garlic yoghurt and sweet-hot butter bring contrasting coolness, richness and spice.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 800 calories, 29g protein, 62g carbs, 48g fat.

The wrappers provide much of the carbohydrates, while the beef contributes protein and the butter and olive oil supply most of the fat. Yoghurt adds some protein, too. For a more balanced plate, serve the bowls with a fresh salad or cooked vegetables.

The beef filling

Even mix: Grated onion, garlic, herbs and spices season the beef throughout, so combine them thoroughly before shaping. The teaspoon-sized portions help the filling fit neatly inside each wrapper.

Keep it cool: Chilling the rolled meatballs while you prepare the yoghurt helps them hold their shape during assembly. Cover them so the surface does not dry out.

Sealing the wrappers

Moistened edges: Brush each wrapper edge lightly with water so the dough sticks when pressed together. Too much water can make the wrapper slippery and harder to seal.

Cross shape: Bring opposite corners together and press the edges firmly into the stated cross formation. Check each dumpling for gaps before placing it on the tray.

Getting the bake right

Golden wrappers: Bake at 180°C fan-forced for 10–12 minutes, watching for the wrappers to turn golden. Oven performance and wrapper thickness can affect the timing.

Room on the tray: Arrange the manti with a little space between them so hot air can circulate. Use another tray if needed rather than crowding them.

Nut-brown butter

Watch the colour: Swirl the butter over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until it turns nut brown. It can darken quickly at this stage, so stay by the pan.

Finish gently: Whisk in the honey, lemon juice and seasonings until the honey dissolves. Have the ingredients ready before the butter browns so you can move straight to the next step.

Serving the manti

Yoghurt base: Spread the garlic yoghurt over each bowl before adding the hot dumplings. This keeps the yoghurt cool and gives every portion a creamy element.

Fresh finish: Drizzle the spiced butter over the manti and scatter on sumac and dill. Serve promptly while the wrappers are still crisp.

Recipe notes & tips

• Grate the onion finely so it blends evenly into the beef mixture.
• Roll the filling into consistent teaspoon-sized balls to make assembly easier.
• Keep unused wrappers covered while you work to stop them drying out.
• Brush on just enough water to moisten the wrapper edges.
• Set out the butter sauce ingredients before starting to brown the butter.
• Serve soon after baking to make the most of the crisp wrappers.

Variations

• More herbs: Increase the parsley or add extra dill to the filling.
• Milder butter: Reduce the chilli flakes and Aleppo pepper.
• Extra tang: Add a little more lemon zest to the yoghurt.
• Sharper finish: Add more sumac at the table.
• Different mince: Use minced lamb in place of beef for a variation on the filling.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overfilling wrappers: Keep to a small meatball so the edges can meet and seal.
• Loose seals: Press the moistened edges together firmly to prevent gaps.
• Dry wrappers: Cover the wrappers you are not using while assembling.
• Crowded tray: Space the dumplings out or bake them on separate trays.
• Burnt butter: Swirl the pan and remove it from the heat as soon as the butter is nut brown.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover cooked manti and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat the dumplings in an oven until hot, and warm the butter sauce gently; the wrappers may be less crisp after storage.

Frequently asked questions