Turkish Cheesy Manti Delight (Printable)

Bite-sized cheese-filled dumplings paired with garlicky yogurt sauce and spiced butter, showcasing Turkish flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

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

→ Cheese Filling

05 - 1 cup Turkish white cheese (or feta), crumbled
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 - In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Form a well in the center, add egg and water, then knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Add extra water if necessary. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
02 - Combine Turkish white cheese, ricotta, parsley, and black pepper in a bowl until well blended.
03 - Stir together Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and salt until smooth, then set aside.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough very thin, about 2 millimeters thick. Cut into 1.5-inch squares.
05 - Place approximately 1/2 teaspoon of cheese filling in the center of each square. Pinch corners together to seal and shape into small dumplings.
06 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add dumplings in batches and cook 5 to 7 minutes until they float and become tender. Drain thoroughly.
07 - Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in paprika and Aleppo pepper; cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
08 - Arrange dumplings on plates, spoon yogurt sauce over them, then drizzle with spiced butter. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're surprisingly forgiving once you get the folding rhythm down, and the whole thing comes together in just an hour.
  • The contrast between creamy cheese filling, cool yogurt, and warm spiced butter is honestly addictive.
  • You can make a big batch and freeze the uncooked dumplings for busy weeknights.
  • It tastes like someone who actually knows what they're doing made dinner, even when you're still learning.
02 -
  • The dough will feel stiff at first, and the temptation to add too much water is real—resist it, because overhydrated dough becomes sticky and impossible to work with.
  • Once the manti hit boiling water, they release starch that clouds the water quickly; this is normal and doesn't mean anything is wrong, but fresh water for each batch keeps them from sticking together.
  • The filling needs to be modest in size; too much cheese and the dumpling becomes a sad, leaking mess in the water.
03 -
  • Freeze uncooked manti on a baking sheet before transferring to a bag—this prevents them from sticking together and lets you cook them straight from frozen without thawing.
  • The moment between when they float and when they finish cooking is fast; don't walk away, or you'll end up with overcooked dumplings that lose their delicate texture.
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