Turkmen Manty (Manty Türkmen) — Steamed Lamb Dumplings

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 8 gfine salt
• 280 mlwarm water
• 1 tspneutral oil (for coating the rested dough)
• 650 ghalal lamb leg (trimmed and hand-chopped into 5 mm pieces)
• 70 glamb tail fat (finely diced)
• 3large yellow onions (about 450 g total, finely diced)
• 1.5 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 tspground cumin
• 45 mlcold water (for juicier filling)
• 300 ggatyk (or thick plain whole-milk yogurt)
• 45 gunsalted butter (melted)
• 0.5 tsppaprika

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough by combining the flour and 8 g salt in a wide bowl, then slowly mixing in 280 ml warm water until shaggy pieces form. Knead on an unfloured surface for 10 minutes until the dough is firm, smooth, and elastic, because manty turkmen need a strong wrapper that can hold juicy lamb filling during steaming.

2. 2

   Shape the dough into a ball, rub it with 1 tsp neutral oil, cover it tightly, and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes. This rest hydrates the flour fully and makes the dough easier to roll thin without tearing.

3. 3

   Prepare the filling while the dough rests by mixing the chopped lamb, lamb tail fat, diced onions, 10 g salt, black pepper, cumin, and 45 ml cold water. Use your hands to fold and squeeze the mixture for 2 minutes until the onions release juice and the meat looks glossy, but do not grind it into a paste.

4. 4

   Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces and keep 3 pieces covered while you work with the first piece. Roll it into a thin sheet about 2 mm thick, then cut it into squares measuring 10 cm by 10 cm.

5. 5

   Place about 32 g of lamb filling in the center of each square. Bring two opposite corners together and pinch them firmly, then bring the remaining two corners to the center and seal all seams so the top forms the classic closed manty shape.

6. 6

   Lightly oil the trays of a manty steamer or stacked metal steamer with 2 tbsp neutral oil. Arrange the dumplings with at least 2 cm of space between them, because the wrappers expand slightly and need steam to circulate around each manty.

7. 7

   Bring 5 cm of water to a strong boil in the base of the steamer, then set the filled trays over the steam and cover tightly. Steam the manty for 40 to 45 minutes without lifting the lid for the first 35 minutes, until the dough is tender and the lamb juices are bubbling inside.

8. 8

   Warm the butter with the paprika for 30 seconds until fragrant, and stir the gatyk until smooth. Serve the manty hot with spoonfuls of gatyk and a drizzle of paprika butter, alongside tea and pieces of çörek if desired.