🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Cuisine

Manti

Steamed Lamb Dumplings

Prep Time 90 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Hard

Calories 435 kcal

Large steamed dumplings filled with seasoned ground lamb, onion, and sometimes pumpkin, served with sour cream or vinegar sauce. A cornerstone of Kyrgyz home cooking.

Ingredients

400g flour
200ml warm water
1 teaspoon salt
400g ground lamb
2 large onions, finely diced
200g pumpkin, grated (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
Sour cream for serving

Instructions

1 Mix flour, water, and salt into smooth dough; rest 20 minutes.
2 Combine lamb, onions, pumpkin, pepper, cumin, and salt.
3 Roll dough thin and cut into 12cm squares.
4 Place filling in center, pleat edges to form open-topped or closed dumpling.
5 Oil mantovarka tiers and arrange dumplings with space between.
6 Steam over boiling water for 40 minutes.
7 Serve hot with sour cream and black pepper.

Did You Know?

A mantovarka, the tiered steamer used for manti, can cook up to 40 dumplings at once. Every Kyrgyz household owns one, and the quality of a bride is traditionally judged by the beauty of her manti pleats.